Looks like another gws attack again

We should really make a protocol of what to do if you get hit and thrown out of your boat. Lay still in the water till the shark retreats? swim quickly back to your boat when the beast releases it? swim very slowly back to your yak? swim at moderate speed to the nearest rock if less than 50' and the shark still has your yac? Lay still in the water an have your buddy come pick you up if he hasn't made a mad dash for shore? Knowing what to do based on some evidence would reduce a lot of the fear.

We should really make a protocol of what to do if you get hit and thrown out of your boat. Lay still in the water till the shark retreats? swim quickly back to your boat when the beast releases it? swim very slowly back to your yak? swim at moderate speed to the nearest rock if less than 50' and the shark still has your yac? Lay still in the water an have your buddy come pick you up if he hasn't made a mad dash for shore? Knowing what to do based on some evidence would reduce a lot of the fear.

Don't know what the right approach is, and in fact it may be different for each encounter.  I do know for sure that it's game on if I end up in the water with a big 'un.  Ain't hanging around for him to decide I have bled out sufficiently.  Not enough nerve to play possum.

Common Darius - Where are you coming from?   That place is a ticking time bomb for another attack.  If something goes wrong, off course your fishing buddies are first to help you.  If there is a real emergency the closest first repsonder by boat is the HMB Harbor Master, thats 27 miles away!  The USCG may send out a helo or maybe a passing PBer can assist.  You know how fast the drift can get there, you can end up miles from shore in minutes.
Did you think about that?  Do you consider how your family will get affected just because of you want to go out fishing?  Is it worth it?

. There WILL be a fatal attack on a kayaker and it WILL happen on the SMC first.

Scott,
You are a very respected member of the community, I DONT like your prediction, I've fished and continually fish SMC until I depart to PI. this is an ILL will prediction, I dont mean no disrespect but please dont wish this to happen to anyone neither NCKA nor other yakkers in SMC. I've been fishing this shore for 8 years now hopefully till I rest it will remain 0 GWS fatality.

Thanks you!

    That's an adolescent GWS .

   What if a coastal strain of GWS  is  making a comeback after near extinction .Gill netting having been banned etc. The Monterey Bay before Europeans, for instance,  was boiling over with fish and the coastline was probably covered in seals . Why would  a shark  want to be anywhere else?

    That could mean that every year we are going to get a new batch of curious shark kids out to taste and learn everything. Getting sighted-in as it were.

  Also:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9247000/9247603.stm

I believe we can all agree that this problem won't just "go-away".  I think it is safe in saying, at least for the time being, that it may increase; increased shark population, increased number of kayakers, etc...  All we can do is take precautions to be safe and make our own, personal, choices where to take part in our sport.

~Bill

Ya, that tarpon wasn't punctured though!!!! Glad I ride one. Might be hard to load... Tough though!!!!!

Think it's tougher than the bottom of a Hobie Outback?

That was definitely an immature shark since it kept coming back.  The bigger mature sharks do a test bite and quickly determine its not worth wasting its energy or getting hurt.  Ralph Collier with Shark Research Committee told me a GWS bite is actually 2 bites.  The first one is with jaws wide open intended to stun and injure.  Then its a smaller bite to chew a piece of flesh off.  Here's pics of my encounter.  First bite was 18 inches in diameter, second bite is approximately 8 inches intended to chew a piece off.  4 teeth penetrated my Revo.  The nearest tooth mark was about 2 feet from my right foot.

I think chances of surviving an incident on a kayak are much higher than on a surfboard.

You takes chances every day in life. I'll continue to put some trust in thick plastic, secondary flotation, and close by companions.

Our problem is plastic.  We need shark proof yaks.  Steel.  No better yet, cement!  Come on baitman, get to the drawing board 

I thought Adams shark came back at least one more time. It was 18' or so I  think.

I believe we can all agree that this problem won't just "go-away". 

I disagree that it is a problem.  A risk, yes.  But a risk that one can mitigate, avoid, or assume. 

I still think its not a bad idea to tow around a silhouette of a seal/sealion. If there's a hungry shark closeby, I'd rather see it attack the fake seal behind me. I'd rather be the "dodger" and not the hoochie, if you know what I mean.

I know this topic is serious as a heart attack.  But Str8's comment made me LMAO.  quote of the year right thar

We had a great article in the Kayak Angler Magazine.  Paul Lebowitz and  (ahem) me.


http://www.rapidmedia.com/ka/kayakanglermag_spring11/   Page 35.......

Been in and on the ocean for a long time and never even seen anything but a (dol)phin, let alone some big dark submarine (that wasn't clearly a whale). Seal and other wildlife in the water makes me feel better, when they take off is when I get a little nervous! The only way over the nervousness for me is being prepared. Standard safety stuff...

Always go with experienced water buddy(s), tell people where you are going, when you'll be back, practice water rescue situations with your buddy(s), and just plain be as prepared as you can be. Use a leash for your paddle and cary a backup  with you. Your hands are not going to help you get back to shore with adverse wind, surf, or current conditions  if you go for a swim and it's hard to tow a floating (with someone on it) and even harder, a sinking boat.

I had heard years ago that there were no reports of any GWS hits on kayaks greater than 12 or 13 feet (until this one?). Anyone know if this was true?

I have to think when they grab a 'yak, and let go, it's by mistaken identity and as far as the "let go" part, it's at least partly a texture thing. Whack the blubbery seal "mmm tastey and what I'm used to" but the kayak is hard/big piece of trash, so "let it loose and go find some tastey blubber"!

Common Darius - Where are you coming from?
That place is a ticking time bomb for another attack.
Did you think about that?
Do you consider how your family will get affected just because of you want to go out fishing?
Is it worth it?

. There WILL be a fatal attack on a kayaker and it WILL happen on the SMC first.

Scott,
You are a very respected member of the community, I DONT like your prediction, I've fished and continually fish SMC until I depart to PI. this is an ILL will prediction, I dont mean no disrespect but please dont wish this to happen to anyone neither NCKA nor other yakkers in SMC. I've been fishing this shore for 8 years now hopefully till I rest it will remain 0 GWS fatality.

Thanks you!

Mel,
First off thank you for the warnings, I really take heed on all the advices. let me break this down to you. I will apologize in advance if there is something that will leave some bad taste.

Common Darius - Where are you coming from? Are you asking about when its your time its your time, simple, my dad was just eating in when he died front of me, my uncle who just cough died after. Do you want more? How about folks who dont wake up? let me know I have list from my personal experience and encounter.
That place is a ticking time bomb for another attack. Come on Mel, you tried to avoid this place didnt you? and what happened? You think if you fished SMC that day will you get attack? think again. Every place is a ticking time bomb simple!
Do you consider how your family will get affected just because of you want to go out fishing?Really? Perhaps I should stop thinking about them when walking across a busy street, walking in the dark alley around tenderloin, camping, plugging in electronics, going outside lightning, snowboarding, biking, bungee jumping and thousands more that I can die, heck what about even going to sleep. But we got to do what we got to do!
Is it worth it? If thinking about just fishing then absolutely NOT, honestly nothing is worth it in exchange for life.

Again I apologized if there is something said that can offend anyone, we are aware of the danger and that is why if you see us fishing SMC we are pretty close to each other, we learned that most of the attacks is because of kayaker got separated from the group. 

Thank you

I thought Adams shark came back at least one more time. It was 18' or so I  think.

Yes it did came back, I heard this story and gives me the creep everytime we are out in SMC...