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Forums > Wing Foiling General

Shark vs foil board ( again!)

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Created by Youngbreezy Wednesday, 11 Mar 2026
Youngbreezy
WA, 1226 posts
Wednesday , 11 Mar 2026 1:06PM
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www.perthnow.com.au/wa/sharks/foil-boarder-escapes-injury-after-being-attacked-by-shark-off-wobiri-beach-in-exmouth-c-21903294?fbclid=IwdGRzaAQdqNFjbGNrBB2ox2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHvkVex-y2StzzbxLr6HAl-klU2DmyjbOVLUdcA_8jX9vX8kUK6t1-xIiM9rF_aem_u1FEthjZMx221gfCeaHDMQ&sfnsn=wa


In the last few months all the things I told myself about sharks, locations, time of the year, behaviour etc. have all been bloody shattered!!! Bloody 3m GW taking a bite out of a foil board in Exmouth in summer, we weren't supposed to have GW attacks that far north and definitely not in summer!!! Faaaarrrk

flowstate
90 posts
Wednesday , 11 Mar 2026 1:43PM
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thank God it wasnt a Smik. Scotty woulda been out of business ;)

heavy! Exmouth!? Defs think you're far enough north to avoid whiteys up there!

showin 28C on the sat, maybs a bit cooler inshore eddy, but hell! And feeding on foils, not just passing thru deep. nowheres safe

hilly
WA, 8010 posts
Wednesday , 11 Mar 2026 2:26PM
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flowstate said..
thank God it wasnt a Smik. Scotty woulda been out of business ;)

heavy! Exmouth!? Defs think you're far enough north to avoid whiteys up there!

showin 28C on the sat, maybs a bit cooler inshore eddy, but hell! And feeding on foils, not just passing thru deep. nowheres safe


Code again hmmmm

Scary situation. Glad he is ok

Youngbreezy
WA, 1226 posts
Wednesday , 11 Mar 2026 6:21PM
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Firstly I don't think sharks have much brand loyalty
Secondly I would like to propose we restart a tried and tested shark mitigation strategy. Please see pictured below:





eppo
WA, 9766 posts
Wednesday , 11 Mar 2026 7:09PM
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Youngbreezy said..
Firstly I don't think sharks have much brand loyalty
Secondly I would like to propose we restart a tried and tested shark mitigation strategy. Please see pictured below:





completely agree.

Jeroensurf
1100 posts
Thursday , 11 Mar 2026 11:54PM
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Sharks thinking: In the last few months all the things we told ourself about foiler locations, time of the year, behaviour etc. have all been bloody shattered!!! went for a nice seal and another Bloody a foil between my teeth! In Exmouth in summer, we weren't supposed to have those disguised seals that far north and definitely not in summer!!! Shaaaarrrk

Faff
VIC, 1400 posts
Thursday , 12 Mar 2026 6:49AM
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Youngbreezy said..
Firstly I don't think sharks have much brand loyalty
Secondly I would like to propose we restart a tried and tested shark mitigation strategy. Please see pictured below:


But, but, but... "We are guests in their environment"... "You are more likely to get hit by lightning".

flowstate
90 posts
Thursday , 12 Mar 2026 5:35AM
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better odds Exxy than those loony Euro foilers proning Esperance, Whartons etc solo tho. mad fokkers

airsail
QLD, 1575 posts
Thursday , 12 Mar 2026 8:08AM
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Probably best not to colour your board so it looks like a rotting dolphin or whale.

flowstate
90 posts
Thursday , 12 Mar 2026 7:27AM
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airsail said..
Probably best not to colour your board so it looks like a rotting dolphin or whale.


True! does look v much like those bits of whale carcasses ya see Tigers munching on Worra, Ningaloo eh

hilly
WA, 8010 posts
Thursday , 12 Mar 2026 11:58AM
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Bite mark looks different to the one that hit Andy. There are no large teeth indentations. I have seen some large Tiger sharks up north I would guess there is a possibility this was not a GWS. No less scary

warwickl
NSW, 2359 posts
Thursday , 12 Mar 2026 5:11PM
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Faff said..

Youngbreezy said..
Firstly I don't think sharks have much brand loyalty
Secondly I would like to propose we restart a tried and tested shark mitigation strategy. Please see pictured below:



But, but, but... "We are guests in their environment"... "You are more likely to get hit by lightning".


We are guests on the land on which we live, animals owned it first.

ThomasGo
WA, 16 posts
Thursday , 12 Mar 2026 2:42PM
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warwickl said..


Faff said..



Youngbreezy said..
Firstly I don't think sharks have much brand loyalty
Secondly I would like to propose we restart a tried and tested shark mitigation strategy. Please see pictured below:





But, but, but... "We are guests in their environment"... "You are more likely to get hit by lightning".




We are guests on the land on which we live, animals owned it first.





Select to expand quote
warwickl said..


Faff said..



Youngbreezy said..
Firstly I don't think sharks have much brand loyalty
Secondly I would like to propose we restart a tried and tested shark mitigation strategy. Please see pictured below:





But, but, but... "We are guests in their environment"... "You are more likely to get hit by lightning".




We are guests on the land on which we live, animals owned it first



We are animals too. It's simply survival of the fittest. One day you eat them next day you get eaten....

I agree with not to use a Board that looks like a big fish. Only coincidence that both attacks happend to riders on white boards ?

DukeSilver
WA, 427 posts
Yesterday , 12 Mar 2026 4:27PM
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It would be interesting to know the type of foiling he was doing. DW with a paddle? Winging / Parawinging? I'm assuming the bite happened while off foil and pumping the board to get going. From below, a board being pumped must look like something struggling on the surface - which I suppose it is.

shi thouse
WA, 1155 posts
Yesterday , 12 Mar 2026 4:31PM
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hilly said..
Bite mark looks different to the one that hit Andy. There are no large teeth indentations. I have seen some large Tiger sharks up north I would guess there is a possibility this was not a GWS. No less scary


News article said there was a 3m white hanging around the area.

Youngbreezy
WA, 1226 posts
Yesterday , 12 Mar 2026 4:48PM
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DukeSilver said..
It would be interesting to know the type of foiling he was doing. DW with a paddle? Winging / Parawinging? I'm assuming the bite happened while off foil and pumping the board to get going. From below, a board being pumped must look like something struggling on the surface - which I suppose it is.




I am pretty sure he was downwind SUP foiling.

One thing that really put me off about DW sup foil is just how much time you spend out at sea bobbing around as a slow moving target. Paddling splashing and pumping the board giving off wounded sea creature vibes. Even the really good guys spend plenty of time like this.

Yes with wind powered sports like wing or parawing if the wind drops your double screwed because you have absolutely no chance of getting going again and your usually on a smaller board. But with wind power you can usually make the judgement before you go out based on forecast etc. then you start foiling from the beach and keep foiling most of the time your out there.

With DW sup you usually paddle out a couple hundred meters or more (which is already plenty of time as a slow moving target) then you get out in the deep and start splashing and pumping around like a wounded seal and it can take a long time to get going. Most of the DW sup crew are very gung ho about it but I don't think they're being realistic about the risk. For me learning to downwind SUP foil was the highest shark risk activity I have done in recent years.
Now don't get me wrong it wasn't enough to put me off DW sup totally. What really stopped me from doing DW Sup was parawings and the fact I'm too fat and lazy to paddle up



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"Shark vs foil board ( again!)" started by Youngbreezy