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Shark Encounters

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haiku
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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby haiku » Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:35 am

Good wishes for a speedy recovery. I share my experiences, three years ago I was almost attacked by a tiger off Kanaha, Maui (pic b). The next year I spotted in the same waters a big White Shark (pic a). In both cases I was lucky.

PS: wearing a shark repellent boardshorts (with White and black stripes) is not a bad idea, trust me. I also have a custom Kazuma board with these colors.


Cheers
Carlo
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Dave_5280
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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby Dave_5280 » Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:54 am

Glad you’re ok, just saw this article from Australia where a surfer got knocked off his board and other attacks:

https://beachgrit.com/2021/07/surfer-kn ... nd-closed/

I was off Kanaha a few weeks ago like haiku above, and the lifeguards came out on their 4 wheeler warning everyone not to go out because they spotted a big tiger shark. My wife asked them where they saw the shark, and the lifeguard said by that kitesurfer out there, as he pointed at me. I never saw the shark and was my way in and didn’t have a problem. I assume they are always out there and we only see a very small number of them, but they see us.

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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby ieism » Tue Jul 20, 2021 1:23 pm

I always look at videos of clear blue water and people not wearing wetsuits with envy. Keep the stories coming, I'll be happy with our cold but sharkfree sea now....

Just kidding, that's a gnarly bite Im glad you're OK.

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alexeyga
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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby alexeyga » Tue Jul 20, 2021 2:20 pm

Interesting, never thought of it from this angle but it sounds like winging is sort of a one-way ticket if sh@t hits the fan and you can't get back on the board? With a kite - you can at least bodydrag back to shore.

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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby Toby » Tue Jul 20, 2021 2:58 pm

Body dragging will be like fly fishing…

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tautologies
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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby tautologies » Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:01 pm

OP, super glad it all went well.
Do you know the shark attacked your foil or could you have hit it on chance? Clearly, the bite wasn't by chance, but could the initial contact be?

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alexeyga
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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby alexeyga » Tue Jul 20, 2021 4:12 pm

Toby wrote:
Tue Jul 20, 2021 2:58 pm
Body dragging will be like fly fishing…
The way I see it - better take chaces fly fishing than just keep sitting there bleeding while doing nothing.

Would be curious to hear from Cape Cod crowd - these guys see whites all the time when venturing on ocean side.

StellaBlu
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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby StellaBlu » Tue Jul 20, 2021 4:20 pm

alexeyga wrote:
Tue Jul 20, 2021 4:12 pm
Toby wrote:
Tue Jul 20, 2021 2:58 pm
Body dragging will be like fly fishing…
The way I see it - better take chaces fly fishing than just keep sitting there bleeding while doing nothing.

Would be curious to hear from Cape Cod crowd - these guys see whites all the time when venturing on ocean side.
Im in that geographic crowd, but haven't actually seen a GW while kiting. I have been at surf breaks that have been cleared due to others sighting them, and I have seen one from a boat.

There has been speculation in the past that the resonance of a foil somehow attracts sharks. I haven't seen anything definitive, but I have heard of multiple shark/foil encounters and it is an interesting topic to pursue further. I am also curious as to any preventative measures or repellant devices, as tchances are that I have been close to them in the water.

All that said, I would much rather have a buoyant wing board to climb on if I were in the water with one, even if I had been bitten versus trying to body drag away from it with a kite.

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Toby
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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby Toby » Tue Jul 20, 2021 4:39 pm

alexeyga wrote:
Tue Jul 20, 2021 4:12 pm
Toby wrote:
Tue Jul 20, 2021 2:58 pm
Body dragging will be like fly fishing…
The way I see it - better take chances fly fishing than just keep sitting there bleeding while doing nothing.
sure thing!

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RickI
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Re: Shark Encounters

Postby RickI » Tue Jul 20, 2021 7:57 pm

What a horrific accident! Thank you for sharing your experience, congratulations on your excellent self-rescue, prognosis, and all speed in healing. Attacks on kiters while on plane have been very rare in the last 20 years or so, to my knowledge. Of course, for most of that time riders have been on TT or surfboards. I have wondered about whether or not hydrofoils increase the odds of a shark encounter for a while but haven't been able to conclude much previously. Question, what sort of visible damage did you see on your foil, mast and where, if any?


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