Stuart Beach fatal attack

[idocsteve]

Don't make yourself dinner

Why not?

I make myself dinner every night. Well, unless my girlfriend makes it.

 

[Splitlip]

On tuesday after work I paddled out on my LB at Carlin park in Jupiter. It was just me and some nice glassy waist high peelers, clear blue water. Not more than a minute after I sat up on my board to start picking a wave, a ~5' spinner shark jumped out of the water ~50' away from me. Now I have seen spinners jump while surfing, but usually it is a hundred yards further offshore or more. This one was at the same distance out I was, probably in 7 or 8 feet of water. I decided it was "too sharky" and paddled back into shore to call it a day. I've paddled in once before after seeing a shark a couple years ago, that one was riding in a wave.

I've been in the water and seen the spinners as well as the black shapes gliding underneath (please be a manatee LOL).

But the most memorable encounter I had was a few years ago. I took off work a little early and picked up my daughter at school with the boards loaded in the truck.

Conditions were spectacular (for me anyway). Clean and glassy knee to waist high with a nice off shore breeze. The sun was going to be low, so had my Costas (polarized) on.
We caught a few nice waves. As we were paddling out and approaching the sand bar I saw 4 to 5 ft bull in the face of the wave right off the nose of my (Split Lip ) LB.
It was absolutely surreal.

I did not frighten me, but I told my daughter we needed to head in. She asked why and I said "It's dinner time." She said she was not hungry, LOL. I pointed out the shark, but she could barely make out the shadow. We were in the channel between the beach and sandbar (this was off Xanadu) as the sun was setting and bait were running through it. When I saw the bait popping up around us earlier I probably should shown more discretion. "Probably bluefish chasing them. Toes up.)

With my Costas I was able to see the shark kind of zigzag his way right by two kids on shortboards and 2 elderly gentleman near the shore.


Lesson learned. No more polarized glasses while surfing. Ignorance is bliss.

BTW, Steve Schafer's memorial drew more than a thousand people yesterday.

I'm still kind of in shock over this entire thing. My daughter surfs more than I and frankly I cannot keep with her anymore. When she paddles out, she likes to go well beyond the lineup to collect herself. From the beach all I can see of her is a solitary speck (it seems to dad) on the horizon. It makes me pucker to think of it now.

 

[DennisS]

How do you avoid a shark attack? How do you keep them from being interested in eating you? Whats the best way to defend yourself from an attacking shark? How do you fight one off? I'm seriously asking cause I've been to that beach and sharks scare the $#!t out of me.

Judging from what I've seen fishing for dolphin, don't make any swift moves, don't splash and don't jump out of the water. I've hooked dolphin and watched them jerking and fighting and it just rings the dinner bell for sharks, I've brought many heads in. What I do when I see the sharks come in is, release the bail, let the dolphn swim as if they weren't hooked, they calm down and the sharks go away. When I start to reel them in again, they get all jerky and the sharks suddenly re-appear ready to eat. The dolphin and sharks are there at the same time but the sharks aren't interested until the fish start actng twitchy.

 

[DandyDon]

He's referring to the dolphin fish, not the mammal.

 

[djtimmy77]

We were in the channel between the beach and sandbar (this was off Xanadu) as the sun was setting and bait were running through it.

That spot (stairs) and carlin are the two main breaks I frequent, since I live super close. Look out for a big guy on a white/grey 10'6 Bruce Jones, usually with a black rash guard.

 

[Splitlip]

That spot (stairs) and carlin are the two main breaks I frequent, since I live super close. Look out for a big guy on a white/grey 10'6 Bruce Jones, usually with a black rash guard.

"stairs", right!

Yeah, I'll watch for you. I am there all the time, surf or not. (I live in the Bluffs)

I used to ride a 9-0 Wakt (Austin Price) board I won on Planet radio around 9-11. It was Red, White and Blue. Rode a 9-6 Dewey Weber Performer for a bit (red black and yellow). Sold it to my dive buddy, so you will still see it out there.

I have a 9-6 Chris Birch (Split Lip) plain triple stringer with a tail block and red Rainbow fin.

I have not surfed since I got hurt skiing last year. My knee is coming back slowly.

How long have you been in the area? Fairly recent transplant aren't you?

Edit: deleted my kid's boards from post.

 

[djtimmy77]

I've been in the area (seabrook) for a little over 5 years. I am itching to get back out there, but at the same time don't want to be shark bait either.

 

[Splitlip]

I've been in the area (seabrook) for a little over 5 years. I am itching to get back out there, but at the same time don't want to be shark bait either.

Seabrook! Howdy Neighbor!

You can't get much closer to the stairs, LOL.
Guy with the Mr Henkey board lived in Seabrook. Not you was it? I almost bought that board. Brown textured deck. It would hurt you if you did not have a rash guard.

We probaby have met already.

 

[Splitlip]

In fact your avatar!

I'm just to the right of the frame, lol.

 

[mksmith713]

I can appreciate your encounter Splitlip.....I rode my bike down to the beach near the pier from my place in The Bluffs off Marcinski and when I arrived at the beach, I noticed NO ONE in the water.Everyone was standing looking out at the wtaer but no onw was going in.
I knew immediately what was going on.
It took me a few moments to see the dorsal fins myself but there they were......no more than 50 yards or so off the beach. Several dorsal fins, not just one.
It it weren't for the fact that there were more than one, I might have gone in...but knowing that bulls are around and they are schoolers, I thought better of it.
Now my wife won't dive with me at BHB because she thinks there are bulls in the ICW.
I suppose it's possible but is it likely?

I've been in the water and seen the spinners as well as the black shapes gliding underneath (please be a manatee LOL).

But the most memorable encounter I had was a few years ago. I took off work a little early and picked up my daughter at school with the boards loaded in the truck.

Conditions were spectacular (for me anyway). Clean and glassy knee to waist high with a nice off shore breeze. The sun was going to be low, so had my Costas (polarized) on.
We caught a few nice waves. As we were paddling out and approaching the sand bar I saw 4 to 5 ft bull in the face of the wave right off the nose of my (Split Lip ) LB.
It was absolutely surreal.

I did not frighten me, but I told my daughter we needed to head in. She asked why and I said "It's dinner time." She said she was not hungry, LOL. I pointed out the shark, but she could barely make out the shadow. We were in the channel between the beach and sandbar (this was off Xanadu) as the sun was setting and bait were running through it. When I saw the bait popping up around us earlier I probably should shown more discretion. "Probably bluefish chasing them. Toes up.)

With my Costas I was able to see the shark kind of zigzag his way right by two kids on shortboards and 2 elderly gentleman near the shore.


Lesson learned. No more polarized glasses while surfing. Ignorance is bliss.

BTW, Steve Schafer's memorial drew more than a thousand people yesterday.

I'm still kind of in shock over this entire thing. My daughter surfs more than I and frankly I cannot keep with her anymore. When she paddles out, she likes to go well beyond the lineup to collect herself. From the beach all I can see of her is a solitary speck (it seems to dad) on the horizon. It makes me pucker to think of it now.