Ready to dive in shark infested waters

[DukeAMO]

What a cool photo, Bob!

I posted my trip report here: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...ra-wreck-nc-aquarium-roanoke.html#post6439302

A few photos:

 

[lozadora]

This is one of the things that made me hesitent about whether to do a PADI Open Water course...I am petrified of sharks. So I've spend the last week just reading lots and lots of forum posts about all you divers who are crazy enough to actually LOOK for sharks.

I feel that understanding their behaviour is part of the battle, and most people say that the sharks are generally more afraid or put off by divers so will generaly swim away.

So I feel calmer now...but I'm not sure how long it would take me to get into the water with some more aggressive/teeth bearing sharks once I start diving!!!

 

[DukeAMO]

It really depends on the type of shark and the location. There aren't that many fatal shark attacks in the U.S., and they're mostly in Hawaii, California, and Florida: List of fatal, unprovoked shark attacks in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Tigerman]

And the shark attacks are also VERY rarely on divers, theire usually on swimmers or boarders of different types..

 

[Ben Prusinski]

Saw my first shark diving this past week in the Cayman Islands. Was a nurse shark and as soon as it was close within 100 feet to me, it turned around and swam away. I have heard that Tiger Sharks and Oceanic White tips are very dangerous to even divers. The Discovery Channel has Shark Week show and wondering if they really are that deadly to divers or just the rare chance?

 

[Tigerman]

Shark Week is the ****tiest show on all of discovery channel with their shark fearmongering for viewing numbers..

 

[616fun]

I just got back from a dive trip to NC. Sharks are the norm there. I've seen sand tiger, sand bar, tiger, blacktip, and tiger sharks. Only the blacktips have ever shown aggression. They followed us up the line from 70' to the surface. They were darting in and out at us, testing us. We just kept our eye on them and in the end they were harmless. One dive this last trip you could look up an see 40-50 sharks in your view. This pic is from Mike Gerken and was posted on Facebook. It's from the same wreck we dove (Caribsea):

Biggest shark I've encountered was a 14 ft tiger shark. It came, checked us out, got bored and left. Very cool. Definitely there was a pucker factor, but none the less, I feel honored he/she let us that close to its world.

 

[tomfcrist]

@616,

If you don't think the sand tigers and sandbars are aggressive, spear a 40lb grouper in front of one.

 

[Tigerman]

Yeah, or you could just walk over to a random dog while its eating and take their foodbowl away...

 

[DukeAMO]

Yeah, personally I won't be spearfishing in the vicinity of a shark. In fact, if I do see spearfishing going on I may just end my dive, and I will definitely end the dive if I also see a shark. There are plenty of reports of shark attacks on divers while spearfishing on the Accidents and Incidents board - no thanks! We all have our limits.

"I'm getting IN the plane! IN the plane! Let Evil Knievel get ON the plane!" - George Carlin