HI TO ALL MY FRIENDS HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SHARK TODAY IN KURNELL AT 3.51 PM , ONE GROYNE
WEST OF THE POST OFFICE , N/EASTERLY WIND , IN ABOUT SIX FEET OF WATER.
SPECIES BULL SHARK APPROX 2.5 METERS IN LENGTH........ STATUS RELIEVED IT WASN,T HUNGRY
CAUSE IT DOSE NOT GET ANY CLOSER THAN THIS..GUESS ITS NOT MY TIME...... ANYWAY KEEP A LOOK
OUT BECAUSE ITS BEEN SEEN HERE VERY REGULAR........HAPPY SAILING.......

A dog was taken yesterday at Kurnell, and I saw a baby 2 footer up at Kyeemagh yesterday

www.theleader.com.au/story/4495880/shark-takes-dog-at-bonna-point-kurnell/

I might re learn how to uphaul until the water gets cold again....

The jelly blubbers that were missing from the bay from about the time of the decal plant construction are back with a vengeance too.
Could be the warmer than usual water this summer?

Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

Select to expand quote

sboardcrazy said..
Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

Yeh, don't drop your gybes.

Seriously, even if you do drop your gybe, a windsurfer is rarely in the water for longer than about 10 to 15 seconds. Not really long enough for a shark to size you up and have a go at you.

I can't recall any attacks on windsurfers in Australia

Select to expand quote

sboardcrazy said..
Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

You're better off just giving up. Stop sailing.

Select to expand quote

John340 said..

sboardcrazy said..
Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

Yeh, don't drop your gybes.

Seriously, even if you do drop your gybe, a windsurfer is rarely in the water for longer than about 10 to 15 seconds. Not really long enough for a shark to size you up and have a go at you.

I can't recall any attacks on windsurfers in Australia

bring a knife or screwdriver with you

Select to expand quote

John340 said..

sboardcrazy said..
Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

Yeh, don't drop your gybes.

Seriously, even if you do drop your gybe, a windsurfer is rarely in the water for longer than about 10 to 15 seconds. Not really long enough for a shark to size you up and have a go at you.

I can't recall any attacks on windsurfers in Australia

I'm pretty sure a south Australian windsurfer was taken by shark off a beach in SA in the mid 90s

Select to expand quote

benyip said..

John340 said..

sboardcrazy said..
Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

Yeh, don't drop your gybes.

Seriously, even if you do drop your gybe, a windsurfer is rarely in the water for longer than about 10 to 15 seconds. Not really long enough for a shark to size you up and have a go at you.

I can't recall any attacks on windsurfers in Australia

bring a knife or screwdriver with you

Is there 'a never bring a knife to a gun fight' joke in here somewhere!

can they be trained to attack jet skis?

Select to expand quote

John340 said..

sboardcrazy said..
Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

Yeh, don't drop your gybes.

Hehe, 30+ knot southerly forecast this weekend, I think I may get wet.

When we had the same wind a couple of weekends ago, the 1.5 metre rollers coming from all directions certainly compromised my gybe technique.

sharks don't like the rough stuff so just get in there and enjoy the conditions while they last.

Sharks are opportunistic feeders. The amount of bull sharks in and around Sydney is at record levels. They are tracked in all of Sydney's water ways. If you think of the odds like John340 said that if you are water starting your chances of being attacked are minimal then think of the poor girl wakeboarding off Jimmy's Beach in Port Stephens. She fell, was waiting for the boat to come around and was smashed by a Great White.
Yeah, I know that's a known white hot spot but with the amount of fish around the odds aren't all that good.
What are the odds of actually seeing a shark let alone getting close to one, a bloody lot higher these days. Sheartip nearly bisected one at Kyeemagh. A dog was taken off Bonna Pt at Kurnell last weekend swimming shallow water. They are around.
Its a risk all water users take, just don't poo poo the facts.

Select to expand quote

ka43 said..
... wakeboarding off Jimmy's Beach in Port Stephens.

There is also a pinger (shark attractor) just outside of Port Stephens heads, for all the divers.

Back in the day if you caught a big shark and had it hung up at the jetty you were a hero, nowadays if you did that you'd probably end up in gaol or at least much poorer than before your fishing trip.

Dunno why it's fine to catch & eat fish like bream or flatheads but killing a shark puts you down at the same moral level as Pol Pot.

Select to expand quote

Mobydisc said..

Dunno why it's fine to catch & eat fish like bream or flatheads but killing a shark puts you

publications.csiro.au/rpr/download?pid=procite:1d0d13e5-7a60-4e65-be78-636e6f2dd22e&dsid=DS1

They've no doubt studied flathead. That the females of that species don't need to reach 5 metres in length before they reproduce might have something to do with it.

They are the top of the food chain. Nuke the lot of them!!!!

Select to expand quote

John340 said..

I can't recall any attacks on windsurfers in Australia

Ummm.... www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/3709568/windsurfer-escapes-shark/

ive met Andrew, and seen his board with the teeth marks. It is a serious mouth that fit around a board. The teeth marks are on both sides of the board.

it could definitely take your leg.

From the herald ??????

Select to expand quote

Mobydisc said..
Back in the day if you caught a big shark and had it hung up at the jetty you were a hero, nowadays if you did that you'd probably end up in gaol or at least much poorer than before your fishing trip.

Dunno why it's fine to catch & eat fish like bream or flatheads but killing a shark puts you down at the same moral level as Pol Pot.

Size matters Moby. There's less guilt killing smaller things.

It's ironic- it's the over-fishing of these smaller inshore species -like mullet, tailor, bream, blackfish etc, that have partially increased shark attacks- sharks have gotta eat. And add to this the ban on killing white pointers (been over 10 years now), and the guilt of dragging a solid whaler shark up the gantry, and you have a combo that is sure to see shark attacks increase.

But the fact is, more people die from falling coconuts than shark attacks...

After spending nearly 30 years floating on a surfboard at dawn and dusk, riding a sailboard feels as safe as sitting on the deck of a cruise liner.

Select to expand quote

PhilSWR said..

After spending nearly 30 years floating on a surfboard at dawn and dusk, riding a sailboard feels as safe as sitting on the deck of a cruise liner.

despite the logic and statistics a lot of surfers have an unshakeable irrational fear of sharks. Compared to horse riders a lot of surfers are complete whimps.
www.smh.com.au/world/kelly-slater-calls-for-a-shark-cull-20170227-4r2qg.html

2 million surfers in Australia, vs. 1 million horses
horses 77 deaths 2001 - 7
sharks 16 deaths 2001 - 7

So two to one higher participation rate (at least) in surfing.

That becomes 144 to 16, call it 10 to 1. It's 10 times more dangerous to be riding a horse than riding a wave.
thenewdaily.com.au/news/advisor/2015/06/26/deadliest-australian-animals/

A shark attack is violent and gruesome
This fear factor outweighs any rational statistical analysis.
Won't stop me sailing but anyone who says it doesn't enter their thoughts when water starting in sharky waters isn't being honest.

Select to expand quote

sick_em_rex said..

sboardcrazy said..
Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

You're better off just giving up. Stop sailing.

Dont listen to Rexi Sue! He's a nice bloke but just a little bit simple with alternatives.. Just hang at Budge with the mullet and smugglers. Join our team as well we are a lovely bunch

Select to expand quote

Mehore said..

sick_em_rex said..

sboardcrazy said..
Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

You're better off just giving up. Stop sailing.

Dont listen to Rexi Sue! He's a nice bloke but just a little bit simple with alternatives.. Just hang at Budge with the mullet and smugglers. Join our team as well we are a lovely bunch

This is why we need red thumbs!!!!

Select to expand quote

Mehore said..

sick_em_rex said..

sboardcrazy said..
Are there any workable shark deterrents windsurfers can wear? Too many seen in lake Macquarie lately including a 4.2m great white who hangs around.

You're better off just giving up. Stop sailing.

Dont listen to Rexi Sue! He's a nice bloke but just a little bit simple with alternatives.. Just hang at Budge with the mullet and smugglers. Join our team as well we are a lovely bunch

Seriously Mick!!! This is a windsurfing forum. The sport revolves around water. If individuals don't like or are scared of what is in the water stay out of it! What more 'simple alternative' can be better??? Should I have said wear a tin foil hat maybe? Would that appease you? Maybe a chain link suit of armour? The idiocy is in the question, not my blunt answer.

I know that Jason in Gerroa wears something around his ankle to deter sharks, maybe you can ask him, some time ago that device was pretty big and had a sort of antenna, impractical for windsurfing, but now is as small as a gps

Select to expand quote

Ian K said..
despite the logic and statistics a lot of surfers have an unshakeable irrational fear of sharks. Compared to horse riders a lot of surfers are complete whimps.
www.smh.com.au/world/kelly-slater-calls-for-a-shark-cull-20170227-4r2qg.html

2 million surfers in Australia, vs. 1 million horses
horses 77 deaths 2001 - 7
sharks 16 deaths 2001 - 7

So two to one higher participation rate (at least) in surfing.

That becomes 144 to 16, call it 10 to 1. It's 10 times more dangerous to be riding a horse than riding a wave.
thenewdaily.com.au/news/advisor/2015/06/26/deadliest-australian-animals/

1. There aren't 2 million surfers in Australia.
2. Horses aren't as nearly as scary as sharks. They're basically pets.
3. Most importantly; I don't ride horses.

And here I was organising to have a group of kids learn windsurfing at Kurnell.

Select to expand quote

Waiting4wind said..
sharks don't like the rough stuff so just get in there and enjoy the conditions while they last.

You'll notice it is perfectly calm just a few centimetres under the rough stuff.

This is traditionally the time of year the sharks are most active in the estuaries.

Select to expand quote

evlPanda said..

Waiting4wind said..
sharks don't like the rough stuff so just get in there and enjoy the conditions while they last.

You'll notice it is perfectly calm just a few centimetres under the rough stuff.

Only kidding!!!
...
Warning ..... next poor taste jokes coming up...

Let me know when you have the kiddies in the water they should provide a good distraction for shark.....

And you all know how the word shark was constructed....

First time a swimmer spotted one approaching, exclaimed.... shi..t. fu...k which in shear terror come out as... 'shark'...

Enough with the bad jokes... I'm going sailing...

Select to expand quote

Ian K said..

evlPanda said..

1. There aren't 2 million surfers in Australia.

www.surfline.com/community/whoknows/whoknows.cfm?id=1012
http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/pdfdocs/The%20HOrse%20Industry%20Contributing%20to%20the%20Australian%20economy.pdf

C'mon. There are 25m people in Australia. That's about 1 in 12.
Yeah. Nah.