Shark attack at Bean Hollow - 7/21/07

A bangstick on a kayak sounds like a bad idea.  Where would you store it?  In a rod holder?  On your lap?  Based on Dan's experience of getting dumped from the yak, you'll never reach it when you need it.

I agree. You would be more likely to blow a hole in you or your kayak than use it on a shark.
I have to somewhat equate a shark attack to a mugging. You see it on video all the time. A person is caught totally off guard and they end up flailing miserably, unaware of their surroundings and unable to put anything around them to any use whatsoever. And these people are on land.
I think a flare gun as opposed to a bang stick would be better to carry if you had the presence of mind and the opportunityto use it. A flare gun also has the obvious use as a distress signal.

A bangstick on a kayak sounds like a bad idea.  Where would you store it?  In a rod holder?  On your lap?  Based on Dan's experience of getting dumped from the yak, you'll never reach it when you need it.

I agree. You would be more likely to blow a hole in you or your kayak than use it on a shark.

+1. I think I would choose not to padle with someone who was so concerned about a shark encounter that they carried a gun or bangstick. To do any good it would have to immediately accessible and ready to fire. One rough surf landing and Blam! now your kayak is only good for making cutting boards or your leg is missing. No thanks.

If you read through the accounts of the various unprovoked shark attacks
http://www.sharkresearchcommittee.com/unprovoked_kayaker.htm

one can see that in some cases, there is no warning before the attack, and the initial contact is so violent that the victim would have little chance to evade the shark.  But in other attacks, like the one just posted  by Ark http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/gwspaddlerace07/index.html, the potential victim may have sufficient warning to use something like a bang stick.  

Would be interesting to get some input from some of these shark experts regarding what they think about using something like this, rather than just going by our own, speculation that is really only informed by common sense notions, but not on any real experience.

Bangsticks have to be manually "cocked" before they can be discharged and this is supposed to prevent accidental discharge when the weapon is jarred.  It must be held in close contact to the target because it does not fire a projectile, but relies on the discharge of exploding gases to do it's damage.

Marmite, I bequeath you the official GWS thread (not that I owned it in any way) if you'll try to collect more stuff there. I read it again the other day, it's an amazingly accurate prediction of what would happen and also I made a strong effort to keep the contents factual.

Maybe you can get it moved out of the basement in to the General forum again, where it belongs.

my comment on the bangstick is that it's not for me. But I would fish with you if you had one as I know how responsible you are. But anybody else? no way! If bangsticks become common, I predict an accident or a sinking! I'll have to take a 7 year bet on that one tho.

John

If you guys want to avoid the Land Lord....sell your kayak  and invest in a rocking chair and knit me a sweater while you're sitting there......I wear an XL 


...or go to Quarry Lake and soak some power pait...I hear catching trout there is a piece of cake 

No kidding.  At the end of the day I'm not going to do anything differently out there.

I'd confidently extend jmaireys wager that the first kayak-fisherman lost in norcal will NOT be due to a shark related incident.  There have already been several other incidents where someone came closer to death, I know I was involved in one - hence rule #1 - wear a wetsuit!

Almost ten years on the water and this the first GWS encounter. I think the dangerous part of kayakfishing is as follows : Surf Launches a landings, getting lost, taking on water and starting to sink, boat traffic, rock fish spines,  large hook that you get stabbed by, gaffing your self, halibut in the lap snapping at the family jewels.


-Brian G

halibut in the lap snapping at the family jewels.

Brian, I'll get you a "cup" for your Bday....but in order for it to work, you need to catch a halibut

halibut in the lap snapping at the family jewels.


-Brian G

Brian G, not all danger is equivalent. getting eaten "hurts more" than a hook in the finger.

but maybe not more than a rockfish spine in the finger, dang that hurts!  .

but if you want to mention deadly dangers: you forgot: car wreck on the way to the fishing grounds or coming home tired.

That guy that went out at bean hollow with no wetsuit probably came closer than Dan to winning the darwin award that day.

and mooch has a point, you only go out twice a year, and sleep in for half the day on those two days,
your odds are lower than somebody that gets more trips in,  .

Mooch and I were both kayak fishing at the time of the attack. He was a little closer than me,  . at least to that one,  .

but as far as deadly dangers, I'd rank them for me:

1. carwreck while commuting to the ocean. I can't drive 55!

2. boat hits me.

3. hypothermia/exposure leading to drowning.

4. launching/landing accident.

5. accident with something sharp on the yak or entanglement (fishing accident).

6. somebody blasts me with their bangstick.

7. shark attack.

 From my past experience, when sh_t happens, it usually catches me totally off guard and I am an extremely observant person.

On numerous instances, when I have had a forewarning, I efficiently was able to arm myself with my knife.  Could I have if I was caught completely off guard?  I am not sure. Most likely not.

All I know is, for Dan to get knocked out of his kayak, and climbed back in, knowing a shark had a hold of his kayak, required that he was in the physical shape to do it number one, and number two, for Dan not to have panic, is remarkable.

Brian G and Jmairy forgot a few:

1.)   The Wind – capsize you – lose your boat – die of hypothermia
2.)   Getting struck by lightning -
3.)   Getting hung up on your lead rope – you fall over board and drown
4.)   Heat Exhaustion – pass out and drown
5.)   Heart Attract/Seizure – Fall over board and drown
6.)   Bitten by a rattlesnake when launching your kayak – too far away to get to help in time.
7.)   Attacked by a coyote – mountain lion – raccoon – bobcat or bear – or skunk!
8.)   Lost in Fog
9.)   A fire in your campground or trapped on top of a mountain when paddling at an alpine lake.
10.)   Going off the side of a mountain while driving to a remote alpine lake.
11.)   Being attacked by a sea lion, which happens a lot more than a great white attack.
12.)   Being caught in a rock or mud slide…..
13.)   The two-legging wild beasts

There are many dangers involved with kayaking. Only you can determine if the risks are worth the price.

If you guys want to avoid the Land Lord....sell your kayak  and invest in a rocking chair and knit me a sweater while you're sitting there......I wear an XL 


...or go to Quarry Lake and soak some power pait...I hear catching trout there is a piece of cake 

Why take a chance on going to Quarry Lake, Something might happen . IMO - Fear is real but it is just that, a fear. We live in fear of something everyday but that doesn't stop us from enjoying life. I not only fish but I am an archery hunter as well and have had a face to face staredown with a black bear while hunting Elk in Idaho and nearly got ran over by a bear hunting near Trinity Lake. I did have a fear of this happening and it did. But the results were that I was never actually attached. I'm still here and I still hunt. I still have the fear but I don't let that run my life. If you do, life is worth nothing. We voluntarily enter the beasts home in search of our prey. Every once in awhile you might see the beast. The best advise I can give is don't go out alone and get the experience you need to not only help yourself but others in your group as well. Don't be afraid to enjoy what life has to offer.

Ben

If you guys want to avoid the Land Lord....sell your kayak  and invest in a rocking chair and knit me a sweater while you're sitting there......I wear an XL 

You have a color preference?   

That guy that went out at bean hollow with no wetsuit probably came closer than Dan to winning the darwin award that day.

Hey, I have lots of insulation! 
-That Guy

PS, I now have a wetsuit, VHF, and GPS to go with my PFD and BVD's.

If you guys want to avoid the Land Lord....sell your kayak  and invest in a rocking chair and knit me a sweater while you're sitting there......I wear an XL 
...or go to Quarry Lake and soak some power pait...I hear catching trout there is a piece of cake 

Z