Surfing Waves

Hey dudes,

total wannabe here, as in I am interested in getting into surfing but I couldn't help think about the girl (was that Kelly Slater?) who got her arm bit off by a shark.

I heard somewhere that you are 33 times more likely to be struck by lightning than get attacked by a shark. Is that about right? I'd just like to hear some reassuring stats from a veteran and get over it once and for all. Damn Jaws movies really messed with my head I think

Lupin

the girl wasn't called Kelly Slater... Kelly Slater is a top pro surfer... and he is a guy... lol. with the shark thing, not a problem for me in the UK, but i've heard you are more likely to be killed by a coconut landing on your head than experiencing a shark attack.

Hi lupin_III, welcome to Surfing Waves

Sharks are not worth worrying about - of all the surfers in all the world you'd have to be really really REALLY unlucky. In my opinion (and there are sharks where I surf) it's not worth worrying about. Get out there and start enjoying yourself.

I was reading about this part of australia in my world stormrider guide and it went something like this:

"------ is a total hardcore surfers mecca, with a line-up full of unfriendly locals. Then in 2000 a honeymooning New Zealander went out for a morning surf, and a great white took him. His body was never recovered. The next day 220km down the coast a 17 year old suffered the same fate. This break has been deserted since then....left to the true kings og the line-up..."

Now that's me remembering it from memory. Point is it does happen, but like the other guys said its not even worth considering. Take Florida for example, the most dangerous place as far as shark attacks go. I think there have been 33 shark related attacks (not deaths) ever. Now think of the millions of people who have surfed there... thats a tiny statistic.

Someone had to play devils advocate.

If your worried surf england or portugal or somewhere where there aint even a risk...

surely your risking your life getting out of bed every day.
Would you not drive anywhere with anyone for fear of a crash.

Your more likely to crack your head on the reef and die than get eaten
by a shark, get dragged out to sea by the rip, have you head chopped off when a kook losses control of his board and when in england get hypthermia.

lol just messin

If you're really worried about shark attacks then buy a knife with a little wrist band holder strap thing.. . and carry it around your arm so if you are gonna get attacked bust out the knife and jab the shark,


i was bit by a little shark but still! you cant ever be too careful about sharks man.

u got more chance of getting dumped at killing urself on rocks than u do getting eaten by a shark

btw its def here.

Ight, the chicks name was Bethany and she has gone one to surf contests and last one she got 2nd. I would not worry about the sharks, I always worried more about sting rays and mamarays. And just to give you some info. Kelly Slater is like in my mind the best surer ever, and in the 90's when Pam Anderson was still on baywatch he became a part of the cast and they dated for a bit. I think you should look him up, he is in like every surfing mag with brah's.

They caught a 12-foot tiger shark last year right off the pier where I surf almost every day. There are also lots of bull sharks and blacktip reef sharks off the coast. But there hasn't been a fatal attack around here since 1962, because the sharks have so much food. The ecosystem is pretty well balanced in this area, so the sharks have no reason to go outside their normal diet.

Of course, I still get freaked out anytime a fish brushes by my leg, because a harmless 8-foot tarpon would probably scare me even more than a 5-foot reef shark. But then I take a breath and keep surfing. I have yet to see a dorsal fin in the surf zone, but my friend has seen some big ones in his many years of surfing. Not a big deal.

Sharks don't deserve their reputation. Even the biggest predatory shark, the great white, hasn't attacked nearly as many people as it could have, considering how many surfers there are in northern California. Unfortunately, if they decide you look enough like a sea lion, you're done for. But that happens so rarely that you're more likely to get in a fatal car crash on your way to the beach.

By the way, Florida has had 489 recorded shark attacks from 1882 to 2001. Only 12 of the attacks were fatal. By comparison, California had 80 attacks from 1926-2003, 6 fatal. So it's not nearly as bad as the movies make it seem. But don't worry, you're not a wuss for being afraid. I still get a little jumpy myself. I totally psyched out my wife when I showed her the pictures of the tiger shark they caught last year!

sharks dont typically make fatal attacks because they dont like the way we taste, they just think ohh blood ohh big food, ohh gross

I surf in norcal santa cruz and the real shark we are worried around here is the great white...however....what's the likelyhood it'is gona bite you in the ass......much much much smaller that be hit on the head by another surfboard.......

The problem with sharks is that from below surfers look like seals - if you've seen a photo then you'll know what I mean!

All shark attacks on humans are mistaken identity. Like beeichbum says, they don't actually like the taste of humans.

A shark will only attach you if it thinks you are something else, or if it feels threatened by you.

As Leslie Nielson says in the naked gun:

"You take a risk getting up in the morning, crossing the street, or sticking your face in a fan!"

Think of it this way - for every shark attack on a surfer - how many thousands have been out and had a great session?

I'm also not sure that Kelly Slater would appreciate the 'little girl' thing!! He's a 6 time world champion and an incredible all-rounder. He even took part in the Quiksilver Eddie Aikau contest (look this up if you don't know what it is) - he's great in small waves and huge waves. A legend amongst surfers!

Cheers

Sinista

its crazy how everyones biggest fear when they start surfing seems to be sharks. all my non surfing friends are always bringing up the shark thing, especially cos the local council very recently decided to remove all the shark nets as they are bad for the enviroment or some sh..t, and it was a big thing in the papers, but i surf pretty much every day and the scariest thing i've ever seen brush past me is sea weed! oh and the odd seal, but they usually don't come to close.

The most dangerous thing in the sea around the UK are the 300,000,000 tonnes of raw or partially treated sewage that are emptied into the sea EVERY DAY!!

I won't mention what I've seen floating past me!

Sharks are definitely not a problem here - to frickin' cold!

Sinsita

:( hay dudes i luv surfin but i wanna no if theres any sharks in england

Sharks? In 35 years of surfing, I have never seen a shark, except of course harmless Sand Sharks. I read about them in the paper, rarely are there strikes around here. I think we've had three attacks in 20 years, none fatal.

If you need something to worry about, worry about the trip to and from your favorite break, and don't forget the wax.

the girls name is bethany hamilton. she gets too much publicity.there have been four shark attacks since hers, 2 of them died. one totally disappeared.

In the last hundred years, there's only been three documented shark attacks in british waters. None were fatal.... It's all good here!

Anyone here hear of or know someone that uses that electromagnetic pulse (shark repellant) when they surf in shark patrolled waters? It's supposed to drive sharks crazy, and keep you pretty distant from any potential attacks. I guess it works like a dog whistle and pushes em away from the reefs.

The person who got attacked was called Kelly Slater and he was a boy but not the pro surfer.

There are around 80- 90 shark attacks per year and over 2/3 of those are to surfers.