Men in gray suits in Norcal

[Hogie]

Hi Norcal divers,
I was watching a documentary on Elephant seals and white sharks a couple months ago and it looked like a lot of places I want to dive in northern California fall within the "Red triangle". I have also asked a couple of freinds and they said they wouldn't dive here because they are afraid of getting chomped. I'd like to think I look nothing like an elephant seal in or out of the water, and I wonder if perhaps they are teasing me since I'm new to the Bay area. So I put the question to you all, have you ever seen a white shark while diving around Monterey or Fort Bragg? Is there a season to avoid diving? Is it hype?
Hogie

 

[marcus8]

Never seen a white shark in 8 years of diving Monterey. Been lucky enough to see a few Leopard sharks but that's about it.

Mark

 

[dlndavid]

Well plenty of people go Ab diving up that way and don't get chomped. There was an incident last year where a guy was diving for Abs, did get his head bit off by a GW.
They recovered the body, then a few weeks later the head. It's not called the Red Triangle for nothing. I'd be real careful diving there. A bunch of NorCal SBers will be diving there this weekend I think.
Check out this thread. http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=139425

 

[KelpCoasters]

Hi Norcal divers,
I was watching a documentary on Elephant seals and white sharks a couple months ago and it looked like a lot of places I want to dive in northern California fall within the "Red triangle". I have also asked a couple of freinds and they said they wouldn't dive here because they are afraid of getting chomped. I'd like to think I look nothing like an elephant seal in or out of the water, and I wonder if perhaps they are teasing me since I'm new to the Bay area. So I put the question to you all, have you ever seen a white shark while diving around Monterey or Fort Bragg? Is there a season to avoid diving? Is it hype?
Hogie

As long as you're not surfing or hunting you really have virtually nothing to worry about.
Shark season is roughly from August to December but you'll be lucky to see one if you get in a cage and go looking for them......

 

[Peter_C]

I did tons of research before deciding to dive this area. First of all I have surfed a fair amount of the North Coast and that is 10 times the risk of being attacked. Most of the attacks happen at the surface.

So the best way to keep from being attacked is stay under water on a shore dive and surface close to your exit point. Sharks also smell for urine from the pinnipeds so don't pee in your wetsuit. They eat fish so fish blood is an attractant. Spear fishing is chuming you could say. Supposedly they are also attracted to electronic devices...might want to turn the camera off instead of trying to get its picture. Although many of us use dive computers that can not be turned off.

I read the stats for all the attacks on the North Coast and about 90% were on the surface. Someone was on a hookah and if I remember correctly collecting some kind of food at the Farralons, which is known as the breeding grounds for the great whites, when they were attacked. A little common sense goes a long way. Most of the attacks are non fatal, but the shark will mess you up. They do not feel the soft fat and release the victim.

In reality you should worry more about current and drowning from an OOA situation then anything else. Sharks are not out to attack people, we are not considered food by the Great Whites. So show up to a dive meeting and plan on getting wet with a great group of people.

 

[Drewpy]

You should really worry about getting in your car and driving to the dive site.....?eyebrow

Thousands of divers get in the water every week-whens the last time you heard about a scuba diver getting chomped?

The Farollones when the Landlord is present (fall) is another story..?

 

[Hogie]

Cool. I'd love to see a leopard shark. I've seen nurse sharks in Cozumel and some other kinds in Phillipines. I'm trying to walk the line between responsible father of 2 and a guy who likes to have fun doing stuff outside and underwater. I appreciate everyone's comments.

 

[renpirate]

It is no hype, there are Great Whites out there. It is not uncommon for fisherman to see them and a friend of mine had one swimming by him at Fort Ross a couple of weeks ago.

I have been diving along this coast for severl years and have yet to see one. Does it enter the back of my mind when I dive, occassionaly. There have been times when something moved in the murk or I saw a startled sea lion and my heart leapt from my chest. However, there is risk involved in just about anything we do.

As for ways to avoid encountering them, the only sure way is to stay out of the water.
You can avoid diving at dusk and in the murky waters near the mouths of rivers. Avoid areas where sea lions congergate. Don't spearfish. Don't thrash around in the water.

The real question is whether the primordial fear of them will prevent you from diving. I can not tell you that there is no chance that you will be attacked, only that the chance is very very remote. Only you can decide whether the risk out weighs the benefit for you. For my part, I will continue to dive.

 

[Peter_C]

To ward off a shark supposedly you can hit your purge button and create a curtain of bubbles that scares them away. They also say if attacked to do not bother hitting them on the nose or head because when they attack a seal they claw the heck out of the shark with no results. Ever wonder why their heads have so many scars? Instead go after the gills and more importantly the eyes. Now we will be really impressed if you can kill it and bring it back to shore with only a dive knife and some cave line.

Bummer I am going to miss this weekends dive :15a:

OH YEAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDY:wave-smil

 

[dsafanda]

To ward off a shark supposedly you can hit your purge button and create a curtain of bubbles that scares them away.

I suppose that may work in some parts of the world where you would presumably see the shark that is going to attack you and actually have time to process this information. If by chance you had the unfortunate luck of being attacked by a Great White, the chances are that would never see anything until it is much too late. The tend to stalk and ambush prey from below.

Sweet dreams.