Surfing Waves

Im off to moreton island while I am up in brisbane , and thought why not take my board , but after reading some of the reports( see link )

http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Australia ... index.html

It seems like tiger shark central , has anyone surfed up there ? and got any advice , sure there are sharks down here on the northern beaches but not in large numbers. I have been reading about fraser island up the coast having great surf but no one goes out because of the sharks there aswell and I have no intention of becoming fish bate.Although it does make me chuckle thinking all our british friends have to think about is getting cold ..

R

I use to surf in Ponce Inlet, and during the "summer of the shark" when it was all over the news (here in the U.S.) out of something like 65 shark bites worldwide, 45 of them were there. (don't know if my stats are right or not, but they are close). I didn't get bit, except on the toe by a small sand crab, or it might have been something else too, I don't know. The ocean has some weird stuff in it.

Mate take your board with you, if others are in the water then go. That way you can make the decision there.

I used to live on the Sunshine Coast and heard lots of stories about close encounters people had had off Moreton Island whilst surfing or diving.
One guy was killed by a great white during our time up there, I wouldn't surf there!
Stick to the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast if you're up that way.

Man, deal with it. If there are good waves go for it!

People have to deal with sharks, it's like we are in there terrotory, their home. I have seen heaps of sharks and never been bitten. Its something people have to deal with.

And I have surf moreton island a few times on a road trip, I have never heard about sharks there till now.

Surfs up then with caution. I finish my job this friday then monday and Im hitting the road and going north !.

Thats odd dec you should of never seen sharks there or heard about them ive just spoken to 2 guys I work with who are up from there, they have confirmed there are a lot of sharks ..

R

Dec wrote:Man, deal with it. If there are good waves go for it!

People have to deal with sharks, it's like we are in there terrotory, their home. I have seen heaps of sharks and never been bitten. Its something people have to deal with.

And I have surf moreton island a few times on a road trip, I have never heard about sharks there till now.

youve seen sharks???
theirs a bunch of great whites here. Jsut thinking about it freaks me out, ive always been scared of sharks. My friends friend got 3 fingers bit off.

Yea, when gorw up in Hawaii and Australia you are going to see sharks. it just doesn't scare me!

Not once at moreton did I see a shark, not even anything swimming in the water...

Dec wrote:Yea, when gorw up in Hawaii and Australia you are going to see sharks. it just doesn't scare me!

Not once at moreton did I see a shark, not even anything swimming in the water...

lucky, ive benn freaked out by sharks alot. Plus they make such a big deal out of it here. I mean on the sign you see this great white and a bunch of danger signs. brrrrr. Doesnt stop me from going surfing!

Sharks won't eat you as long as you don't act like a cheeseburger. I believe this, I remember seeing them, all that went through my mind was, don't let them know I am here, but I think they knew I was there.

The first time I ever surfed in the ocean, some fishermen caught a huge maneray (can't spell it) this thing's body was as big as my car, and it's tail had to be at least 8' long.

Everyone came running down to the underneath part of the pier and me and my buddy came out to see what was going on, I thought it was a sting ray, hey they look the same to me, everyone was playing with it, tourist were taking pictures, and then finally they shoved it back into the water.

I remember thinking... WTF. They just let that Mother F'n Jaw's thing loose where we surf at... I'm not going back in there. Come to find out, the water was shark infested anyway, and that big thing was harmless. So, I just had to keep telling myself everytime I went surfing:

Running into the water to paddle out: I'm not affraid of no stupid shark

Paddling out: it's not like a shark is going to eat me when I am paddling out.

Once I am out there: What was that!!!! Don't act like a turtle, Don't act like a turtle, Please don't let any shark think I am a turtle.

OK that is my experience with sharks.

It's kind of funny, when you are sitting in water where you know that there are definately sharks, everytime you see a shadow on the water, even your own, it tends to make you wonder.

Try surfing in South Australia.

Before: "Lord I place my life and my health in your hands..."
Getting nervey: "Lord I place my life and my health in your hands..."
See something move: "Lord I place my life and my health in your hands..."
See a suspicious shadow: "Lord I place my life and my health in your hands..."

Tracks stereotype ssurifng anywhere in SA as barelling along, scared to touch the water, explosive-tipped speargun strapped to back.

LMFAO!

I suppose we just try not to think about them

-doug

I know this thread is pretty old, but I am going to Moreton Island this weekend and found this thread when searching for info on google. Anyway, I also read those comments on wannasurf and asked my boss (who I am going camping with) about sharks on Moreton. He goes there twice a year to surf and he said he has never seen a shark. He also said the last person to be killed by a shark there was 25 years ago... I don't know if that is tru or not.

Also, during vacation care last summer my workplace took a bunch of 10 - 13 year olds there to scuba dive in the reefs. They wouldn't have done that if there was a chance they would be bitten by a shark. They are on the other side of the island to the surf though... just thought I would add that.

haha omg ; i was surfing on long island & i saw a shadow in the water turned out to be a small shark & i screamed this was one of my first times surfing & it was so embarassing thought id share (=

As a diver who's seen sharks underwater, just make sure you don't look like a fur seal/sea turtle! If you don't look like dinner, or smell like a dead/dying fish then you should be pretty safe.

Also, saw this show on discovery where they towed a plywood seal shape behind a boat and videoed great whites striking at it and jumping 5 ft out of the water... scary.

Mate, last January surfed the North side of Moreton for 1 week straight and did not have a single problem. There were a couple of us out and the waves were pretty all time. If you are worried about the stories just dont surf alone would be my advice.

Dont understand some of these jokers advising you on a place they have not been!! Dont knock it before you try it!

Well guys N girls , I can safely say I surfed the north end of moreton island on monday 23rd at yellow patch and survived !.Its a great spot! also camped out there. Although I did score a large shark at blueys beach just south of forster 1 weeks before at 7 30 am !!!

easty