Author Topic: Do Sharks Attack Us?  (Read 73980 times)

bushido8000

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Do Sharks Attack Us?
« on: July 19, 2014, 07:59:15 PM »
So I am extremely new to SUPs.  I can't help but notice that I can't find a single article on the internet about sharks attacking anyone on a SUP.  There's even an article about a shark grabbing onto a guy's board, which lead to the guy punching the shark's nose to let his board go, but no sharks attacking SUP riders.

My question (it might be a stupid one, idk) is this, has a shark EVER attacked a SUP rider while they were on their board?

dabigkahuna

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2014, 08:20:55 PM »
I don't know the answer to your question, but I have a story that may give you some insight into the mind of the average shark:

My wife and I were sailing our boat from Catalina Island to San Diego one day.  There was barely a wisp of wind and the ocean was as flat as glass.  Way off in the distance we could see what looked like a tree trunk floating in the ocean, except every once in a while it moved.  I changed the boat's course so we could get up close and see what was happening.  When we got up close, sure enough it was a tree trunk, maybe 2 feet in diameter, and what was moving it, and this is the interesting part, were two big sharks who where taking turns trying to rip this tree trunk in half.  Needless to say, they weren't getting much nutrition from this hunk of wood, but it didn't keep them from continuously trying to take a bite out of it.  They were still at it an hour later when we lost sight of them.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2014, 08:22:29 PM by dabigkahuna »

Zooport

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2014, 09:52:51 PM »
I have never heard of a SUP getting attacked.  I was told that sharks go mostly after seals and unfortunately for them, traditional surfers often seem like seals to sharks who typically have poor eyesight.  It is my understanding that someone paddling a SUP does not look or act like shark food, so the chances are pretty low.  No guaranteed, but low.  The people who are in more danger are the offshore swimmers.  I know a distance swimmer got bit and killed swimming off of Solana Beach a number of years ago. 
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Zooport

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2014, 09:58:19 PM »
By the way, that's not a stupid question at all.  My elderly father unfortunately heard of the swimmer being bit recently off of Manhattan Beach and he is now worried sick about me.  Constantly trying to talk me out of going in the ocean because I might get eaten by a shark.  I try to tell him that I'm in more danger on the freeway than I am in the ocean, but he is very old and doesn't easily modify his thinking. 
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808sup

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2014, 10:30:42 PM »
There was this one here on maui...
Posted by: maui wave warrior
« on: October 18, 2012, 04:46:21 PM » Insert Quote
We were out early this morning on a nice chest to head high day at Kanaha with surf on the rise. Around 8:30am lifeguards advise us we all have to clear the water due to a shark attack. Turns out one of our local SUP shapers Dave Peterson had a shark bite his board and knock him off. He needed to use his paddle to get the shark to release the board and then proceeded to fend off the 6 to 8ft shark until he could get back on his board. Article is in the Maui News today. This took place out in front of Kite Beach which is about 200yrds from Kanaha Beach Park. Glad he was not injured. Those smaller SUP's are looking more like turtles I guess so beware!

DavidJohn

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2014, 10:58:45 PM »
I don't think they attack us.. Try not to even think about it.

Remember more people die each year from being hit on the head by a falling coconut.. So watch out when near a coconut tree.

How come those deaths don't make the world news..  ;D

SUPcheat

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2014, 11:19:29 PM »
Looking at the shark attack map for California (you can google it) and the amount of time the data was accumulated and the actual conditions under which fatalities occurred and the hordes of people in the water over the years, the conclusion is that there are so many other dangers, that shark attack is completely trivial by comparison. 

There was a kayak bitten by a white shark a year or two ago in Santa Cruz, no injuries. i saw a youtube video of a guy paddle boarding probably somewhere in the south, where he glided over a alligator and it started thrashing and knocked him off.  He didn't even look scared, just stood there in the water while this beast was thrashing the water. I would be a lot more afraid of that if that was where I paddled.
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dabigkahuna

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2014, 07:31:42 AM »
I seem to remember hearing about a paddleboard being "bit" by a shark at Catalina Island a few years back...  Found a news article on it here:
http://www.kcet.org/living/travel/socal_wanderer/safety/catalina-island-shark-encounter-leaves-15-year-olds-paddleboard-bitten.html

surfcowboy

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2014, 08:47:04 AM »
Eva Beach, 2 or 3 years ago too.  But stop thinking about it and worry more about texting on the road what you're eating. (That's what will kill far more paddle boarders and other people too.)

Califoilia

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2014, 09:23:57 AM »
Remember more people die each year from being hit on the head by a falling coconut.. So watch out when near a coconut tree.
Exactly, and why I never SUP under or even near coconut trees.....you can never be to cautious. :P

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Zooport

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2014, 09:47:51 AM »
Remember more people die each year from being hit on the head by a falling coconut.. So watch out when near a coconut tree.
Exactly, and why I never SUP under or even near coconut trees.....you can never be to cautious. :P


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808sup

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2014, 11:21:31 AM »
Remember more people die each year from being hit on the head by a falling coconut.. So watch out when near a coconut tree.
Exactly, and why I never SUP under or even near coconut trees.....you can never be to cautious. :P X2. Great :o now I'm scared NOT to go in the water!


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johnnyo

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2014, 11:20:25 AM »
watch out of the Sharknados!

OUTSIDEWAVE

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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #13 on: August 03, 2014, 09:01:59 PM »
Taste test!!
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Re: Do Sharks Attack Us?
« Reply #14 on: August 04, 2014, 06:42:17 AM »
That sharknado just tore a bite out if the Big Apple. Dear God, where will this maelstrom of carnivorous catastrophe hit next?
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