My Dive buddy is afraid of getting eaten by a Shark.

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I call ********. My divebuddy (who has 13 more dives than me, but who's counting?) was well prepared (and positioned) to experience my moment of panic as I breasted my first wall. She laughing blew almost as many bubbles as me in panic mode.

We both still enjoy natural shark encounters.... Saw a few on every dive on our last T&C trip.

I think there is a big difference between those that are afraid of (fill in the blank), and those that are prone to panic in their phobia environment. My wife has a fear of spiders, but when confronted by one, she will pick up a shoe and smack the crap out of it. I do not have a clue how to advise people that are prone to a panic response. Fortunately most people do not fall into that category, and can overcome their phobia by slow, patient, and extended exposure. But no one is going to be able to talk a fearful person out of their phobia by quoting statistics.
 
Sharks that I have encountered are generally shy. I had to hide behind a rock before taking the picture, below.

fM0034318.JPG
 
So am I
but adventure calls..
I had three close friends killed by GWS
Randy Fry- shark bit his head off
Debbie Franzman- shark bit her thigh
Al Snippersnoff- shark bit his leg

And I have had a number of close encounters of the horrible kind with sharks

Yes I am afraid of being eaten by a shark-- but never stopped me from enjoying diving all over the world

Sam Miller, 111
 
Look for videos posted by divers here on SB and YouTube that include shark encounters (but not shark-feeding dives) and show them to your buddy.

You might also want to do your first ocean dives in locations where sharks are rarely encountered, like Bonaire, to increase comfort and confidence for both you and your buddy.

I was afraid when we did our first ocean dives in the Florida Keys, I was just generally afraid of everything, but as I became more comfortable and confident, the fear receded and the wonder increased!

I was amazed that sharks are so beautiful the first time I saw one in the Bahamas. I always thought that they were ugly, with big teeth and scary eyes - but watching one swimming along in the open ocean was an amazing experience. I have enjoyed a number of shark sightings since then and they have all been peaceful and memorable.
 
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So am I but adventure calls..I had three close friends killed by GWS...

I am sorry for the terrible deaths of your friends but those kind of statistics will not help anyone get over a fear of sharks and they are not very applicable to this situation. The attacks on your friends were by Great White Sharks and included free-diving abalone fishermen and a woman swimming on the surface with seals.

This thread pertains to recreational divers primarily diving in Florida and the Caribbean, and their most likely shark encounters (if any) will be with gentle Nurse Sharks and minding-their-own business Caribbean Reef Sharks.

There's no guarantees in life, you might be attacked by a vicious dog right in your own neighborhood, but that doesn't prevent most people from going outside! I hope that the OP's dive buddy will be able to overcome his fear of sharks and enjoy diving.
 
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View attachment 419049 I have no worries. I just keep my teenage son between the shark/s and me... justifying it as necessity since mom will want to see his picture, not mine...
Which is just further proof that nobody, including sharks want to be around teenage boys.
 

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