Preparing to die at Bean Hollow

I fished there—the Vermillion in my avatar was from there—7 pounds half way to the record of 14. It's very fertile and therefore it simply must be protected by the gods i.e. Neptune. He obviously assigned his Great White Sharks as guards. So be wary—you seek the fishing grounds of the gods and they will try to stop you mere mortals.

All kidding aside, it's near Ano Nuevo with a world renowned Sea Lion rookery (right term for a mammal breeding ground?) and GWs are proven territorial—they'll ward off (by attacking and biting) any interloper to their territory (which is why they never directly attack the kayaker—just the boat) when they are cruising for a meal. So it's a crap shoot there. Good luck.

one thing comes mind i think i need a bigger boat I'm new to the yak thing butt i think ill stick bass for now

From my experiences, talking about it is absolute the best thing you can do.  Adam, I wish you the best in your recovery, I've followed you on NCKA for years, your one of the guys on here that kept me interested for all those years before I bought my yak.  So keep talking it out, and take actions when you feel ready.  Thats all I have for that. 
As far as whether or not people should be fishing Bean Hollow, its purely up to the individual whether or not they want the odds of bad things happening, against them.  Risk versus reward.  Are rockfish really worth an encounter with a shark?  Dont just think of the potential injury, think of the aftermath, the PTSD, the chain reaction an event like this would have throughout your life.  For me, fish and the experience of kayakfishing Bean Hollow are not worth it.  Yes, we all have our time and I've seen it first hand, gnarley car wrecks without scratches, to an allergic reaction to food killing a guy.  When your number is up, its up, but there are things you can do to sway when your number will be called. 
I respect the fishermen of the Bean Hollow, and if you guys post a hookup, I may just go and will have some food on the grill and drinks on ice for you guys on the beach when get in. 

Jeff

Adam, let it all out brother. NCKA is a great place for free theraphy.....believe me

Love ya

Went there one time and THE PLACE GAVE ME THE CREEPS!!!!!  Never been back since..............

DOOD! I had no idea that it was hittin you this hard= YOU HIDE IT WELL!!! I wish there was something i could say or do but I know it wont fade the memory!! Im sorry that you are reliving this and that YOUR SPOT GOT TAKEN FROM YOU!  Im glad you can talk openly about it, and WE WILL get you through it, start saving gas money buddy, look like we're headed NORTH FOR BIG LINGS!!

Just make sure to Warnabrotha when you cats head north. I was wandering around aimlessly looking for Adam at the last three events I've been to....

I've only met you a couple times, whether you ever fish BH is up to you.  Myself and your NCKA brothers support you.
With the dangers of kayak fishing it is the way we support eachother in order to come back alive that helps make NCKA the special organization it is.  I had a great fishing day there in September, camped nearby and went to fish there the next day. It was FAC, perfect conditions, but I bailed for fishless Santa Cruz because no one else showed up. I will fish there again, but not alone.[/u] It doesn't require the Landlord to make me nix fishing remote coastlines solo. The landlord had no part in FishinFrank and friend's helicopter rescue off the Bean. The statistics you presented are real, but if we were to look at statistics for kayaks sinking, I'm betting those are even worse.  I also want my NCKA brothers close for a surf landing, We all know it can be FAC going out but then turn into a hair raiser coming in. If I flip and bash my head I want that brother there to pull me out.

Addressing the other members - The old saying is, if you taste the water and it's salty, then there are sharks around. Yes, I know there are more GWS around the Bean due to the Ano Nuevo Elephant Seals. However if I were to use that logic, I would not participate in Pay It Forward, because we are going right past the Coast Guard jetty with all its furbags. All the places we might consider safe like HMB, SWS, Capitola, Pacific Grove, Carmel and Big Sur have a history of sightings and attacks. Did we ever decide, with certainty, whether the shark that shadowed Sharkbait off Big Sur last summer was a GWS or a Basking Shark? Two attacks off BH in three years. Is it a fluke or can we expect more? I do not know. I can only speculate.

Adam – I know you will do your best to deal with you PTSD. It is very courageous of you to have even been out on the water since the attack. Your descriptions of the attack in this thread seem even more vivid than your original descriptions, so it’s easy to infer how much this is bothering. You are doing the right thing in talking it out. Keep talking to people, Vets or whomever on how they deal with their PTSD. Whether or not you get back on the Ocean, the most important thing to know is that you control your life and that it is not controlled by some overgrown (albeit dangerous) fish.
We care and support you.   Thank you very much for caring enough about us to issue these warnings !!!!!!

once again thanks fellas......you guys are my therapy. You understand what is is to be, or have been out there(or not). I spent over 15years cathing waves from OceanBeach(SF) down to PomponioBeach(10 min from Bean) EVERY WEEKEND, Holiday, day off from work, my honeymoon and whenever the surf was up on the weekdays after work. I never saw a GWS. Not even a "you shoulda been here yesterday", NADA! I knew the danger of yaking that place from day 1.  Did i ever think i was gonna get it= No, but in my brain i did prepare for it. When I got launched&scooped,that instant, my preparation for this event was going through my mind. As the water rushed over my head and its teeth grinding away, the pressure was so strong that i could feel  every bite go through my body. At that point, I thought that this was gonna be my time. The END and i was gonna get that 15seconds of fame i had always prepared my wife for. 

I fished that general area 3 times after your attack last year.  In fact I was on the water at EKG with Mccag, Obkook and Bink one day before it happened.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,25888.0.html

I will still fish BH to PP but only with a group.  Yes I thought about the risks but living with the landlord comes with the love of the sport.

if you taste the water and it's salty, then there are sharks around

I think you have to adopt this attitude and "drive defensively".

Thanks for reminding us Adam, it's easy to get careless.

Ben

Adam, never mind not fishing bean, I was too scared to read this post for a while. Glad I did.I'd like to share some things ptsd and surviving shark attacks.
Ptsd is real and serious. I know what you mean by "what's around the corner". I thought it had to do with the violence I experienced in South Africa but I know ptsd can affect you in ways you wouldn't think possible. I doubt you'll ever be able to stop the mini split second freak outs. For me they have become less, but still happen regularly. They keep us real. Talking helps. Be it with a professional our your friends our family. Whatever floats your yak. If you ever have anger managment problems (knowing you I doubt   it) you may want to seek pro help. This is one of the nasty effects of ptsd.
I too returned to the scene of the crime. I wish I could tell you it was a pleasant experience. It wasn't but was necessary. I blew out my hip that was injured in the attack on a big bottom turn. Got dragged across the rocks. Climbed the sea wall to my car and left saying "##$&$#?!$ Mossel Bay". Went bridge bungie jumping.
Always remember that you have nothing to prove to anyone. Only do what what you feel good with. People will always ask if you went back. It seems like its a natural response. You shouldn't until/unless you are ready. Love will conquer fear and you will have many more years of fun in the saddle.
Keep on being yourself fellow club member.

This thread has got me thinking about why kayak shops, and especially those ones out on the coast, don't offer shark-shields for rent. Either by themselves or as an option with a rental kayak. Seems like this would be a money maker and if I could I would rent one for the day sometimes. Adam, sorry this is a little off topic and hope to see you OTW soon. jim

Here's one reason told to me by a surf shop owner.
"I'd like to buy a boogie board for my son. What's that $700 item over ther. Hey Jhonny, why dont we get you a bmx?“
Some dont want to talk shark when selling water goods. They fear they will lose more than they would make. End threadjack

This thread has got me thinking about why kayak shops, and especially those ones out on the coast, don't offer shark-shields for rent. Either by themselves or as an option with a rental kayak. Seems like this would be a money maker and if I could I would rent one for the day sometimes. Adam, sorry this is a little off topic and hope to see you OTW soon. jim

Here's one reason told to me by a surf shop owner.
"I'd like to buy a boogie board for my son. What's that $700 item over ther. Hey Jhonny, why dont we get you a bmx?“
Some dont want to talk shark when selling water goods. They fear they will lose more than they would make. End threadjack

Yep, not the best marketing for selling/renting kayaks, SUPs, boards, wetsuits, etc.

You guys are right about that. The SS would only be appealing to people like us yak-fisher's who are already going into the ocean pretty regularly and not the casual yak renter. jim

Adam, I just noticed your avatar.

I think your shark encounter has had a more serious affect than we realized