HEAD ON WITH A GREAT WHITE! BOXING DAY STOCKTON

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AB_USER!
AB_USER!
NSW
47 posts
NSW, 47 posts
31 Dec 2007 4:19pm
Tacking out from the ABC centre to the south, out about 200 odd metres..I saw a fin pop out of the water...it was heading out in a northerly direction...
I knew I was on a collision coarse with it so i pulled my kite up to 12 and tryed to go downwind a bit...the wind wassn't that strong so i started to fade fairly quickly...decided to dive the kite and head straight towards the fin.

It all happened so quick...the shark turned my way, popped it's head out of the water and bang...i smashed straight into it's head.

I went straight over the hangers...like a bullet.

I pulled my kite back up to 12 and got lofted up and i could see my board about 12 feet away and then some..."screw the board" i thought....i was Facating in my wetsuit covered boardshorts by then and just dragged myself back to the shore, all the while looking back thinking "@#$$%&@@".

I often see sharks at Stoko...it's not like its anything new,I have even hit one before....but never been scared spitless like that day.

Footnote: I don't think that the shark was trying to get me, I think it just popped its head out at the wrong time~!
Charl dv
Charl dv
WA
2485 posts
WA, 2485 posts
31 Dec 2007 2:52pm
y didnt u just turn around instead of destroyings the poor basterds face?
AB_USER!
AB_USER!
NSW
47 posts
NSW, 47 posts
31 Dec 2007 4:55pm
happened too quick ...most blokes need at least a minute to respond to dramatic situations... i need two!

hindsight!

Charl dv
Charl dv
WA
2485 posts
WA, 2485 posts
31 Dec 2007 3:02pm
haha.. i remember in NZ some time last year we wer kiting near the city.. a few orcas came cruising by and one of the guys went out to hve a look tacking in and out close to the pod.. one decided to turn around and start charging! i dont think ive ever seen him kite his ass to the beach so fast!!!!

kitecrazzzy
kitecrazzzy
WA
2184 posts
WA, 2184 posts
31 Dec 2007 3:14pm
i have never swam as fast as the time i did when i snorkelled around a reef to come nose to nose with a grey nurse [gimme a break i didnt know it was harmless at the time]
em
em
318 posts
em em
318 posts
31 Dec 2007 3:32pm
Charl dv said...

y didnt u just turn around instead of destroyings the poor basterds face?


Gold!!!!
Insane stuff if true (not questioning the veracity of your story AB_USER!, just saying I didn't witness it), man, I would have s***** myself... I nearly ran over a hammer head few months ago and I understand why you didn't turn cause I did exactly the same: my brain sort of froze when I realised the seaweed I had spotted had a fin hanging out... Lucky for me, my -tiny- (and gorgeous) "bastard" got scared to death and swam away like a rocket... But could still feel my heart beating in my toes half an hour later...
I assume that if I had been facing your mate, I'd have ran straight into his face as well... -more likely hoping I'd get there fast enough to actually knock him out!!!-
My best friend actually got BITTEN twice while kiting... Was shocked when I heard about it... Thought no kiter had ever been attacked... Which makes me come back to my theory that kiting near surfers reduces the odds....


Mr float
Mr float
NSW
3452 posts
NSW, 3452 posts
31 Dec 2007 6:26pm
Yikes!!

AB_USER! said...

Tacking out from the ABC centre to the south, out about 200 odd metres..I saw a fin pop out of the water...it was heading out in a northerly direction...
I knew I was on a collision coarse with it so i pulled my kite up to 12 and tryed to go downwind a bit...the wind wassn't that strong so i started to fade fairly quickly...decided to dive the kite and head straight towards the fin.

It all happened so quick...the shark turned my way, popped it's head out of the water and bang...i smashed straight into it's head.

I went straight over the hangers...like a bullet.

I pulled my kite back up to 12 and got lofted up and i could see my board about 12 feet away and then some..."screw the board" i thought....i was Facating in my wetsuit covered boardshorts by then and just dragged myself back to the shore, all the while looking back thinking "@#$$%&@@".

I often see sharks at Stoko...it's not like its anything new,I have even hit one before....but never been scared spitless like that day.

Footnote: I don't think that the shark was trying to get me, I think it just popped its head out at the wrong time~!


AB_USER!
AB_USER!
NSW
47 posts
NSW, 47 posts
31 Dec 2007 6:31pm
i didn't think i was being attacked at any stage!

I was just sp!t scared at the time.

those things are just so fluent through the water... and so big....
Rebel
Rebel
NSW
165 posts
NSW, 165 posts
2 Jan 2008 11:36am
is your board alright. did it eat your board??
Munter
Munter
NSW
210 posts
NSW, 210 posts
2 Jan 2008 7:51pm
Man with balloon attacks innocent shark.
Jimmyz
Jimmyz
NSW
446 posts
NSW, 446 posts
2 Jan 2008 11:24pm
Spoke to my uncle yesterday about his sharky encounters as a surfboat rower coz he did it for years... he reckons that Stockton is by far the most shark 'infested' beach in NSW...

Has anyone heard of these guys using meathooks up there to catch GWs and other sharks? ... Like they paddle out with a big chunk of meat, stick it on a hook, drop it out beyond the break and then paddle back in and ... wait for something big to come along and take it.

All the shark stories over here r getting me all revved up.. I wana c one hehe... well Im sure I wont be saying that if I ever actually do :|
AB_USER!
AB_USER!
NSW
47 posts
NSW, 47 posts
7 Jan 2008 8:16pm
have had some sleepless nights after the incident...i can tell ya.

one of me mates got me board back.....no worries.
Blaster
Blaster
WA
501 posts
WA, 501 posts
7 Jan 2008 7:30pm
Jimmyz said...


Has anyone heard of these guys using meathooks up there to catch GWs and other sharks? ... Like they paddle out with a big chunk of meat, stick it on a hook, drop it out beyond the break and then paddle back in and ... wait for something big to come along and take it.


Yeah seen it about a year ago on some current affair show. These psychos would surf in the morning, then after they would go out on their boards drop the baited hook and come in and wait. Didn't take long to hook one either.
azza
azza
1338 posts
1338 posts
7 Jan 2008 8:18pm
[b]em said... my theory that kiting near surfers reduces the odds....



Love ya style Em... there's nothing more placid than a well fed white (well fed on surfer that is)

Does this theory make it even safer to kite around body boarders
Bertus
Bertus
QLD
50 posts
QLD, 50 posts
7 Jan 2008 9:38pm
So how big do you think it was AB?

I know how I felt when a seal popped up next to me unexpectedly. But then it did the same thing a few times during the day and I quite enjoyed it's company.

Dawn Patrol
Dawn Patrol
WA
1991 posts
WA, 1991 posts
7 Jan 2008 11:30pm
Azza i very much like your theory on sharks being fed by bodyboarders. If only we could get into manufacturing them, and add some attractant mix to the board. If only....
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