New Zealand GW encounter

It's good to watch this every year or so.

   

I can say that after being followed by a large white shark at Shelter Cove last year,  that when it’s behind you, you are torn between run (which you can’t) or calmly paddle away.   For a 17 year old, I thought the kid did ok considering her was being hunted by a 2000 lb predator.  Also he was back on the salt a few days later “doing what he loves” as he put it.  Way to go!

SeaChumm

In reality these beasts can turn up anywhere

Insteada being aboard a plastic toy atop the water, nowadays youre mostly IN the water, right? 
Every year I swear I'm giving up open water swimming...

Last time my boy surfed he took “one more” about 20 times and we ended up going in in the dark

I said “Yo it’s feeding time!” and he suggested I might want to pick up the swim pace

You swim races right? If I remember right you did the Alcatraz swims

I do my daily mile at the pool but I’m a lot less bored in big surf with pointy surfboards coming at my head. Bigger the better. Will miss that when my son runs off to college

I've pretty much gone freshy, odds are never have a problem but after 2 kayak drive bys and other boat based encounters, no longer worth it to me. can't afford new clothing each time they are big, toothy and not predictable. Oh, I also don't ride horses either It's all about worth/risk decisions. 

Im actually a little more nervous swimming with the smaller toothies in Hawaii

We’re usually a quarter mile offshore and last time we were there one of the locals had just had the lower half of one leg removed where we were

Even the local groms were nervous

Just the facts.. let's keep things real and in proper perspective...

Since 1990, at least 10 kayakers have been involved in shark incidents in California, with 4 injuries and NO fatalities reported.

1995: A minor injury occurred during a kayaking incident in San Diego

2022–2024: Multiple non-injury encounters, including in San Mateo (2023), Santa Barbara (2024), and Orange County (2024)

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The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s data (1950–2025) indicates that most shark interactions with kayakers result in no injuries, with only a small percentage causing harm