My GWS Encounter @ Capitola 7/7/12 - updated 7/13

Mel, we're all thankful that you're ok brother! Thanks for sharing your experience, as we learned a great valuable lesson on the importance of being cool under the most extreme situation.

As I said before, I'm more than willing to be your wingman anytime Mel

Again, thank God that you're doing well

Thanks for sharing your story Mel.  Glad to hear you weren't hurt and made it back. 

Thanks for sharing your story. Important to do after such an event.

Ryan

So glad that you are alright Bro!

Amazing story and experience. Reread it several times. Thank you for sharing and glad you're ok.

Glad you made it out okay Mel, and major props to the NCKA brothers and PB'ers who helped out. I saw a blurb about this on the late news and when they said "He was fishing" I immediately thought "I bet it was a NCKA'er...".

Plus one on the new handle of

  Iceman.... 

 

Hobie is starting to fill all their walls with chewed up Yaks....  Hope they get ya new one....

+1

Hope the Popo give you that tooth back also. It would be a great fishing charm! 

Thanks for sharing your story bro!!!  Scary...

I was at Capitola this morning, but playing my uke, which is another thing to be afraid of there, but there were sure a lot of kayaks out beyond the kelp, though I gather that's at least a mile from where the taxman was yesterday.   

Glad Mel mad it out of the drink ok. He handled it extremely cool. Im very proud of the way he kept his Sh!t together for all of us 

I saw the whole thing happen from about 150 ft away. One second he's checking his line then a big violent burst of water and loud thud. As i see him leaning to his port side, before he hit the water I already knew what was happening. The sound was incredible like a car hitting a kayak. all time froze and slow-mo. seemed to kick in.

 Just about the time he was ejected, the bow was pushed up and left very hard as the yak flipped over it all happend in a second or two but felt like an eternity. I saw mel holding one side of his yak, as the words that ill never forget chilled the air  "shark, help, shark, help"  I saw that HUGE and I mean F*cking HUGE tail flailing quickly above the surface as the shark made his descent. By that time me and Kirk were pushing towards him(which you can never do fast enough). It feels like a ton of bricks is on your yak

Thank god for those PBers. Never happier to see one. After i made it to mel to make sure he was all in one piece we gave a little manshake (real mans handshake). Then Me and Kirk began to pick up the pieces. I put a call out on the radio. Alshobie responded and headed in. It was crazy how many people were still out but hey to each their own.

It was a cool headed crew out there, and im glad that I was with them. Being around experienced Vets like you guys makes dealing with all this craziness a little easier. I had a funny feeling when I left the house that morning like it could have been the last time. Guess I should learn to listen but all those pounds of fillets blinded me 

Mel You F'd up our WSB dreams with your nightmare .  And im glad that we are all hear to talk about it . Through no choice of our own we are now linked in special club that i hope no one ever has to join.

Cant stress the fact that you need to hit the salt with friends or be prepared to deal with type of stuff alone. because it does and will happen again.

Thank you for surviving Mel.....from all of us

Tried to hit the salt the next day but mother nature didn't want us out there this weekend i guess.

Thoughts and best wishes go out to Mel and his Family.

P.S. I believe he lost one of his favorite rod and reel setups. It would be really Cool if we can get some donations together to help Mel get a new setup A.K.A. (love rod)

I would like to speak with you about your encounter. Would you please email me at; sharkresearch@aol.com  so that I might be able to discuss with you specific aspects of your incident. I'm thankful you were not injured. Photographs and incision measurements of the tooth impressions left in your kayak would allow me to determine the size of the white shark involved in your attack.  Thank you for your assistance. Ralph S. Collier, Shark Research Committee.com

Mr Collier was the most helpful guy when we tried to figure out what kind of shark was following shark_bait.  He is  a stand up guy that I vouch for 100%, if you are looking for some answers, this is your guy.

Mel,

I'm glad you made it out in one piece . It would freaking suck to lose a NCKA brother.

Also, I want to thank all of you guys for warning everyone out there. Had I not known about the attack, I probably would've headed towards the kelp to fish later on in the day.

John

Check out mellow Mel and the mauled Revo.

also the unsung heros in all of this

Scary stuff Mel.  Glad that you came out of it okay!

By that time me and Kirk were pushing towards him(which you can never do fast enough). It feels like a ton of bricks is on your yak

I know exactly what you mean 1000%. You gotta get there, and it fells like you're pulling the entire Pacific Ocean instead of just a paddle full of water.