this weekend is looking almost perfect, big swell and hopefully off shore winds! is it safe to go out for a surf at cott (seconds/cove/iso etc)?? any thoughts.....?

Well, I don't know about Cott, but I can tell you that I was surprised how few crew I saw out around the Yallingup breaks this last 4 days... and Monday was nearly perfect conditions... Not sure if it is the recent Bunkers incident or the fact a whale has washed up towards the north end of Smiths beach...

I went looking for the beached whale at Torpedo rocks - but couldn't see anything - but 3 lidders had just come in from nears Supers so they were not too worried.

I too am a little apprehensive at the moment... but you cannot predict these things - could be 10yrs until the next shark incident at a metro beach - or it could be tomorrow. No way to know...

I won't be going on overcast or murky days...

**** that!

Just send Lady Gaga in first in her meat dress to test the water first.
If you try the Gaga test,, I hope the sharks still there.

I was in the day afterwards and came out fine.
If you get that feeling in your gut saying don't go in then don't go in...otherwise go in and enjoy yourself.

I only get that gut feeling about sharks once a year or so (very scientific of me I know) but I listen to it.

Each to their own. I'd never try and convince someone to go in if they weren't comfortable.

I know it's not cott, but a mate sent me a video today, he was in his boat 20m of old dunsborough boat ramp yesterday at 4 pm and captured on video a great white swimming near the boat! It's crazy I will post the video if I can work out how to.

Just upload it to youtube then post the link here. Would love to see it.
Or email it to me and I'll do it

Im going to stick to the beachies I think..

il definitely be getting some surfs in this weekend.

i also like to position myself next to or near someone who i like to think looks like a tastier treat to sharks than me. haha

Alright so check it out... I'm no marine biologist but take a look at the attached image which demonstrates Perth's "Shark Attack Zone" to figure out where in Perth a shark attack may be more likely to occur. Every major attack in Perth has occurred in this Shark Attack Zone with the exception of a couple of bull shark attacks in the Swan River back in the day.

In the attached Google Earth image, the white line marks the Shark Attack Zone and the yellow thumb tacks show the locations of the previous attacks at Cottesloe, Rockingham and Garden Island. The Shark Attack Zone forms part of a reef habitat that stretches from Rockingham to Garden Island to Rottnest Island to Cottesloe. Given the high frequency of attacks in this area it is at least arguable that is less safe to enter the water in or near the Shark Attack Zone.

Also the fact that the mouth of the Swan River is only a stones throw from Cottesloe may also increase the likelihood of attacks as well as the fact that it is currently the migratory period for whales during the months of September to December. The Estuary in Mandurah being in relatively close proximity to the Shark Attack Zone may also indicate a higher likelihood of attack in Mandurah.

Regardless of all this theorising... the chances of being attacked in the Shark Attack Zone are still extremely remote but anything is possible. In reality you can be attacked in WA waters anywhere and at anytime. You either accept the risk or don't surf just like you accept the risks to drive on the roads.

I think I'll avoid Cott and Mandurah this Weekend! Peace out!

i would avoid lefthanders, if the shark from cott is moving south it will be hungry by the time it gets there.

they just pulled huge arse tiger that had just eaten another one caught on the drumlines 500metres on my home beachy on the goldy yesterday they are everywhere, must say i was concerned last week when a massive bait school started swimming past me glad now i have been crook all week

Select to expand quote

Sham1984 said...

il definitely be getting some surfs in this weekend.

i also like to position myself next to or near someone who i like to think looks like a tastier treat to sharks than me. haha

Is that bigger is size or better looking..?

Was at a sandy place that has trax this morning. The sharks haven't seemed to have phased anyone. Plenty of people about, especially mid morning. If you are scared of the sharks, don't surf. Simple. Temps are going to be high this weekend so there will be more people about on the beach, and adding to that is the swell, so there will be plenty of wave hungry people around. Slim chances I say if you're worried about losing a limb or worse. Probably more likely to injure yourself with your board of choice on a sizey wave.

In this type of situation I go on the numbers theory. If there are quite a few other surfers out in the water then my odds of getting eaten are less so I go out. If no one out or only a few then no way. I recall rocking up to tallows beach at Byron which is a bit of a known shark magnet and seeing a sign in the car park that a 3m white was spotted earlier in the day. I freaked a bit but saw that there were 20 or so crew spread along the beach so chanced the odds. Did make sure though that I was never the furthest out haha

Select to expand quote

Dazza65 said...

Did make sure though that I was never the furthest out haha

Leave the mal riders out deep, they love it

Select to expand quote

sparki said...

Was at a sandy place that has trax this morning.

Any good?
I pulled in there early this morning and super windy. Only waited 15 seconds before moving on to the L-footbridge.

Select to expand quote

jbshack said...

Sham1984 said...

il definitely be getting some surfs in this weekend.

i also like to position myself next to or near someone who i like to think looks like a tastier treat to sharks than me. haha

Is that bigger is size or better looking..?

Haha well depends. If I was a shark I wouldnt want too fatty meat.

But seriously I was only joking! Just make sure there is crew out and I'm not further out than everyone

Select to expand quote

subasurf said...

sparki said...

Was at a sandy place that has trax this morning.

Any good?
I pulled in there early this morning and super windy. Only waited 15 seconds before moving on to the L-footbridge.

Yesterday the wind wasn't good and the bombs were closing out, but the smaller ones were alright. If you got the right one, going right towards the main peak, you could get a heavy, sandy barrel - but they were pretty intimidating, really shallow, but make-able. But there were some seriously rip-able ones. This arvo, too many people, but some really nice wedges and hassle because the waves were that much more easily distinguishable compared to yesterday. It was surprisingly good and the wind was kind-of cross-offshore. First time in a while I've seen the place working properly.

Went by Avalon this morning and a guy mentioned that a shark had been seen ealier.

Enough's enough! Extinct the bastards! The world hasn't ended from lack of dodos and tasmanian tigers, seriously, extinct them!

There was an article in the paper this morning (not that you can take their crap as the gospel, especially in a city with one newspaper) and it said more and more surfers are wanting something done and I agree.

yep Kaz can confirm that, local radio reported it and two fisheries boys were looking for it at the end of the cut. I was a little surprised they didn't launch the boat but I think they were busy at the Boat Show and monitoring speed limits around the marina, not too happy about that....

Select to expand quote

PaddlePig said...

Enough's enough! Extinct the bastards!

Mate, no offence but a bit narrow minded there. The ocean is their home and not ours. It's our privilage to be able to surf in it. How would you like it if we kept killing whales and one day they all decided to come onto land and exterminate us?

Just because we're on top of the food chain doesn't mean we have any right to deem what animals die or not. It's our responsibility to cherish and protect this planet thats provided us with life. No matter how big the matter how emotional we might get, we gotta see the bigger picture and that is the worlds eco system and not our own life.

Put up nets, set up more guards but don't think about such an atrocious act as extincting another animal. To be honest if I was taken tomorow or any day by a shark I wouldn't blame them. I got alot to live for but I understand my risk when I paddle out.

Select to expand quote

newguy said...

Put up nets,

The big problem with nets is they don't actually work.
Over 80% of sharks caught in the nets over east are swimming OUT of the netted area...not IN. Which means the nets did nothing to protect the swimmers from human/shark interaction.

Yeah I know I was being irrational before, we shouldn't just extinct them. But seriously, something does need to be done. The sky isn't our home but the airlines manage to put safety procedures in place to make it safer. Surely something can be done. Think I'll leave it to blokes like Suba who know their stuff, instead of taking my boat out and trying to extinct them.

Well I would say some sort of anti shark device but last time that was tried.....

www.theaustralian.com.au/nocookies?a=A.flavipes

Guy had a spinal injury and broke his collarbone surfing. How many people nearly drowned yesterday. I helped three people in..

I've never been so disappointed with a group of ignorant people as these local surfers calls to cull sharks. Normal land lovers i could understand because they don't understand the waters , but surfers. Real sad stuff IMHO.



I reckon if people make enough noise we could get stuck with some stupid laws, like no surfing with out shark shield, or surfers have to log on and when entering water and log on to make sure we haven't been eaten Seriously i don't need my hand held in the water and anyone who does should stay and swim between the flags.

Select to expand quote

jbshack said...

Guy had a spinal injury and broke his collarbone surfing. How many people nearly drowned yesterday. I helped three people in..

I've never been so disappointed with a group of ignorant people as these local surfers calls to cull sharks. Normal land lovers i could understand because they don't understand the waters , but surfers. Real sad stuff IMHO.



I reckon if people make enough noise we could get stuck with some stupid laws, like no surfing with out shark shield, or surfers have to log on and when entering water and log on to make sure we haven't been eaten Seriously i don't need my hand held in the water and anyone who does should stay and swim between the flags.

Sorry not wanting to offend anyone just plain STUPID ignorance just pi-s's me off..

definitely a hot topic!

id like to see other options looked into thoroughly before culling of any sorts were to even get a look in...

and im not entirely sure whether i would support culling anyway.. id need hard evidence of over population of the GWS (or any other shark).. of which as far as im aware there is none.

definitely think nets could be given a shot.. its relatively cost effective and would at least give people some peace of mind. especially along the metro swimming beaches. whether they work or not is another story

its a tough one thats for sure..

Select to expand quote

Sham1984 said...

definitely think nets could be given a shot.. its relatively cost effective and would at least give people some peace of mind. especially along the metro swimming beaches. whether they work or not is another story

its a tough one thats for sure..

Statistically (I am just repeating myself from other threads), shark nets do nothing to protect swimmers. Using the eastern states as an example, over 80% of the sharks they find in the nets were swimming OUT of the netted area...not IN.
Which means the shark nets did nothing to actually keep the sharks out.

yea i read your previous post.. however that statistic does not account for sharks that never entered the beach area because they couldn't get through the nets to begin with.. especially larger sharks

the reason i believe the nets are catching sharks on their way out is because your average shark will hit a net or a blocked path and just simply turn around.. hence not many being caught on the way in.. however if they slipped through the nets (which is very possible and im not saying nets keep 100% of sharks out) they will need to/ have more motivation to get out of that area in order to find food or go back to where ever they came from.. hence trying to get through that barrier and getting stuck..

i probably expressed that really poorly.. but my main point is.. that the nets (in my opinion) DO keep alot of sharks away from the beaches.. especially larger sharks that are just swimming by to browse the buffet

im no expert.. just my opinion..