Preparing to die at Bean Hollow

Adam, I just noticed your avatar.

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

Whaddya mean?  That's 120 pounds of pure sexy! 

I remember when the only thing we where worried about at the Hollow was the shore break...

I remember when the only thing we where worried about at the Hollow was the shore break...

I hate shore break...

For a long time, I've put off fishing the Bean just because of the not so friendly
landing. Now I have one more reason to put it off even longer.
How about a picnic and a shore fishing at the Bean instead.

Jedmo

I remember when the only thing we where worried about at the Hollow was the shore break...

I hate shore break...

Me too. Lime kiln, Bean hollow and Muir can all have some nasty shore break sometimes. Even when you make it out unscathed you always have the thought in the back of your head that you need to come back in and chances are it will be bigger later.


-Eliot

Hey Adam.  I have read your post here for awhile now and clearly see that you are a pillar and troubadour in the kayak community at large.  After having this terrible experience and seeing you put your kayak back together shows your heart will never leave the game.  I wouldn't fish that place again either.  When that shark crushed your kayak and almost you, I think we all felt it in a small, back of our mind, nightmarish kind of way.  But you F ing were eye to eye with it and most of us will never understand the horror of what that's REALLY like.  I hope you find your peace and I hope to have the honor of fishing along side you some day. Stay cool.
Tight lines.

Adam

Thanks for the heads up and hope you are doing ok. I won't be fishing SMC much this year and not without a SS. Won't be posting hookups or reports if I do. Getting professional help for PTSD can really help. PM me if you want to hookup.

Scott

June 18th, 2011

Hello Adam, Mooch, Bill, Jed  et al....
I've been diving abroad most of the past year....and miss you guys.
 But to tell you the truth, I  fear...er respect....no I guess its FEAR  the SMC more then any place I've been to.
With most reef sharks...you have a sense you can beat them up in a face off if you had to......but not with our sharks here.
I remember drifting out to sea talking on a cell phone half way between Bean Hollow and the point of no return.... all alone and a number of times . Thats not happenin anymore.
20 lbs of rockfish is not worth missing your kid grow up.
Steve
ps. I found this old post and reactivated it below....

     


  February 08, 2009,

I grew up diving at Greyhound Rock, New Years Island and Halfmoon Bay because as a kid with little money, I had to stay close to home. I mean, back then Woolco gas cost 25 cents a gallon !
My brother and I dove these spots dozens of time, speared many rockfish [ especially big grass rocks] lings and cabezon and never had a shark experience at all.

I think that since then, the ever increasing biomass of pinnipeds in the water [ thanks Marine Mammal Protection Act] and of course the ever increasing biomass of hominids in the water are ever so steadiliy ratcheting up the threat matrix.

I grew up unafraid of the possibiliy of my own shark story in the Bay Area...and yet as I grow older and wiser, I am starting to consider them as a greater issue.

I am rational to fault and yet I thank the odds are slowly shifting.
 If he ever read this post, I am sure that the diving communities best spokesman, Randy Fry [ RIP] would argue against me.

When a GWS took him and I suddenly felt a lot less invincible.
 Steve

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

Love ya

Adam, I know how I felt watching a dorsal fin tail my son.  Your experience was physical, mine was as both spectator and father, but not as an active participant.  I can guess, but never truly feel your experience.  I offer the below only as a map that helped us.

After Nathan had his encounter with the basking/GW Shark (take your pick) I had a lot of soul searching to do.  It is one thing to put myself in harms way, completely another to put my son at risk.  But the first opportunity to get on the salt was the first Pay It Forward Paddle in SC.  We launched with a huge crew and felt the comfort of numbers.  We were both still apprehensive, but that grew thinner as the day progressed.  Perhaps PIF 2 could give you the same feeling?

On the beach Piscean gave Nathan a good luck mojo piece.  Everyone brought it up, some with bravado, most with empathy.  We saw the outpouring of brotherhood for Mooch.   This group of people, from vastly different backgrounds, occupations and wealth levels all rubbing shoulders, bonded together by our common passion.  It was and is truly beautiful.   

We talked about it.  The sea has brought my son and I closer, and neither of us can leave her.   I picked up two sharkshields because I am fortunate enough to be able to gamble cash on something that may only make us feel better.  But I refuse to ever ask myself if I could have done more to prevent an incident.  We added flotation to the yaks.  We carry a spare paddle.  But we continue to fish, and have returned to the site.  Since then we have started some spearing, and Nathan wants to go spearing in Big Sur.  Am I apprehensive?  Yes.  Will we do it?  Most likely yes.   

So after all that, I  never have and most likely will never fish Bean Hollow.

your battle is as real as Mooch and Shickens.  I offer you the same thoughts and prayers for a full recovery.

 

I've got to ask, does anyone still go out at bean anymore?

Love ya Adam. We were sitting in the taqueria at HMB the day before and watched you drive by. Who in hell would have known what was up the next day. I fished there a couple of weeks after and the thing that really freaked me the most was the boilers in front of the south beach at low tide. I fished there when the tide was up for awhile then left. Later in the day I looked over there to see huge rollers crashing that spot. The shark incident is and always will be in my mind. I couldnt even imagine your thoughts at all. Wherever I get in there is the chance. The only shark I have seen personally OTW was a 7ft blue at Stillwater north in my zodiac while fishing. This is all north of SF. The ocean is and always will be the master. Some risks are worth taking and others not.  Over 3000 people died on the roads in Ca last year. I will fish the bean on a calm day when the water viz is good. See you on Saturday dood.

Love ya Adam. We were sitting in the taqueria at HMB the day before and watched you drive by. Who in hell would have known what was up the next day. I fished there a couple of weeks after and the thing that really freaked me the most was the boilers in front of the south beach at low tide. I fished there when the tide was up for awhile then left. Later in the day I looked over there to see huge rollers crashing that spot. The shark incident is and always will be in my mind. I couldnt even imagine your thoughts at all. Wherever I get in there is the chance. The only shark I have seen personally OTW was a 7ft blue at Stillwater north in my zodiac while fishing. This is all north of SF. The ocean is and always will be the master. Some risks are worth taking and others not.  Over 3000 people died on the roads in Ca last year. I will fish the bean on a calm day when the water viz is good. See you on Saturday dood.

That's a good point Craig but how many people drove in Ca last year? I bet the chances are better that we have a bad shark encounter at the bean than get hurt in a car accident on the way there.

I'm not saying I won't go there anymore but I do think it's a lot riskier than driving. I don't have any figures to back that up it's just a gut feeling.

Let me know when it's calm and clear.   


-Eliot

"Preparing to die at Bean Hollow".
 
Damn Adam. I just can't get my brain around that. I'm not ready to kick yet.

Like you.....surfed for years. Ran out of San G beach, North Beach in PR, Doran, and a few other maybes.

But just seeing a fin or a silhouette is nothing.

I never got hit. Nobody can know what they will do.....after.

I feel bad cause I know you're torn.....and you just can't erase what you saw.

I hope someday enough time will pass and this memory will dull.

You will again find your comfort zone.....and be happy fishing wherever you find it. jim

This group of people, from vastly different backgrounds, occupations and wealth levels all rubbing shoulders, bonded together by our common passion.  It was and is truly beautiful.   

The best description of NCKA 

Eugene, you and your son are living the life. There's nothing more special than a Father and Son sharing weekend adventures together. Hope to read more reports from you guys in the future!

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

thank you for that Jeff........you are correct, it aint worth the reward.