Sharks and Yaks

From my experience as a long time NW surfer; I've seen several sharks while surfing.  While it made me pucker, I never felt that I was a prey item.  The two people I've met who've been bitten by GW's were both taken by surprise from below.

Marine predators don't usually signal their prey that they're going to attack.  That would limit their success rate.  Therefore, all the firepower in the world isn't gonna help you. 

-Spot-

I agree that most attacks are by surprise. Obviously in those situations nothing is going to help you. The attacks I'm thinking of are the YouTube videos where the sharks are actively harassing kayaks - nipping at them, bumping them aggressively, etc. Given the low incidence of report of what I would call "full force" attacks from below on kayakers, my suspicion is that these other situations are much more common, and so possibly more useful to try to plan for.

Other than the landlord I don't think there's much in the way of requiem or lamniform sharks that visit the PNW close enough to shore to be a concern.  And the landlord is more likely to either do an ambush attack, or just to look curiously at you (a la LingLing).  I can't recall hearing of any incidents where a GWS bumped or sorta gently nibbled on a kayak.  Maybe they have, but I just don't remember it.

From my experience as a long time NW surfer; I've seen several sharks while surfing.  While it made me pucker, I never felt that I was a prey item.  The two people I've met who've been bitten by GW's were both taken by surprise from below.

Marine predators don't usually signal their prey that they're going to attack.  That would limit their success rate.  Therefore, all the firepower in the world isn't gonna help you. 

-Spot-

I agree that most attacks are by surprise. Obviously in those situations nothing is going to help you. The attacks I'm thinking of are the YouTube videos where the sharks are actively harassing kayaks - nipping at them, bumping them aggressively, etc. Given the low incidence of report of what I would call "full force" attacks from below on kayakers, my suspicion is that these other situations are much more common, and so possibly more useful to try to plan for.

Actually, I believe nearly all of the attacks on kayaks down in Nor Cal have been the ambush from below, full force attacks. They seem to average about one a year.

Wouldn't the angle of a sitting kayaker discharging a firearm create risk of uncontrolled ricocheting? 

After watching a few attacks by GW's, I can see myself asking the shark to wait while I dig my gun out of the hatch. To me, the best advice above is to be aware of your surroundings and bug out when that inner voice pipes up.

My two cents worth,

Wobbler

Apparently "bang stick" is not a common term in the PNW. Which is weird because I've lived here almost my entire life. Anyway... I'm not talking about what you would typically think of as a firearm. There are many types of devices of the kind I am referring to, but specifically I am referring to something like what is sold here (no affiliation):

https://www.billsbangsticks.com/

Divers use these for hunting and protection, as do alligator hunters and participants in other similar pursuits. A single round (from handgun size up to shotgun) is deployed in a device on the end of a pole. With the safety off, the device will discharge if pushed with sufficient force into an object. So we're talking direct contact with the target. The pressure of the discharge may do as much damage as the bullet itself; hence some divers use blanks for some additional safety.

This is not something I would "dig out of my hatch" but would be in my tool rack with my gaff, net, and poles, at the ready. And as already discussed I don't think it would do any good for a "surprise attack"... nor do I think anything else would do any good for a surprise attack.

From my experience as a long time NW surfer; I've seen several sharks while surfing.  While it made me pucker, I never felt that I was a prey item.  The two people I've met who've been bitten by GW's were both taken by surprise from below.

Marine predators don't usually signal their prey that they're going to attack.  That would limit their success rate.  Therefore, all the firepower in the world isn't gonna help you. 

-Spot-

I agree that most attacks are by surprise. Obviously in those situations nothing is going to help you. The attacks I'm thinking of are the YouTube videos where the sharks are actively harassing kayaks - nipping at them, bumping them aggressively, etc. Given the low incidence of report of what I would call "full force" attacks from below on kayakers, my suspicion is that these other situations are much more common, and so possibly more useful to try to plan for.

Actually, I believe nearly all of the attacks on kayaks down in Nor Cal have been the ambush from below, full force attacks. They seem to average about one a year.

You're making my point for me; there are many reports each year from Australian and the Gulf as well as California of sharks harassing kayaks (bumping, biting, charging).

Other than the landlord I don't think there's much in the way of requiem or lamniform sharks that visit the PNW close enough to shore to be a concern.  And the landlord is more likely to either do an ambush attack, or just to look curiously at you (a la LingLing).  I can't recall hearing of any incidents where a GWS bumped or sorta gently nibbled on a kayak.  Maybe they have, but I just don't remember it.

That's a good point. The bumping/biting/charging is probably not typical of the types of sharks we have around here.

Well there goes my risk mitigation ideas... Still, I'd rather have some kind of plan in mind rather than nothing. I'm sure a full attack from a GWS would likely tip me over, but I might have a chance to do something other than pray.

In the end, you either learn to accept the fact that you're not THE apex predator out there or you stop kayak fishing.

-Spot-

Well there goes my risk mitigation ideas... Still, I'd rather have some kind of plan in mind rather than nothing. I'm sure a full attack from a GWS would likely tip me over, but I might have a chance to do something other than pray.

My plan ... always have a camera ready!   

-Allen

In the end, you either learn to accept the fact that you're not THE apex predator out there or you stop kayak fishing.

-Spot-

No offense, but that statement makes no sense. There are plenty of people that don't accept that who keep kayak fishing.

Anyway I never quite understand this attitude from people. I'm sorry if I'm not "circle of life" enough for you because I want to have a fighting chance in any situation I possibly can. In my mind that is just reasonable.

I understand the risks of fishing in the ocean on a dinky piece of plastic, and I accept those risks. I am respectful of the creatures who I share that ecosystem with and I am grateful when I get to share in the harvest of the ocean. But none of that means I'm not going to mitigate risk as much as possible. Maybe I truly could do nothing in most cases, but I'd rather think out some scenarios ahead of time and try to put up a fight than to just roll over and die. You do what you want; I'll fight until I can't.

Well there goes my risk mitigation ideas... Still, I'd rather have some kind of plan in mind rather than nothing. I'm sure a full attack from a GWS would likely tip me over, but I might have a chance to do something other than pray.

My plan ... always have a camera ready!   

-Allen

  Good plan!

Other than the landlord I don't think there's much in the way of requiem or lamniform sharks that visit the PNW close enough to shore to be a concern...

Tell that to the big blue that checked me out at Hobuck this summer. I never felt threatened, but I'd be lying to say it didn't quicken my pulse a tick.

In the end, you either learn to accept the fact that you're not THE apex predator out there or you stop kayak fishing.

-Spot-

No offense, but that statement makes no sense. There are plenty of people that don't accept that who keep kayak fishing.

Anyway I never quite understand this attitude from people. I'm sorry if I'm not "circle of life" enough for you because I want to have a fighting chance in any situation I possibly can. In my mind that is just reasonable.

I understand the risks of fishing in the ocean on a dinky piece of plastic, and I accept those risks. I am respectful of the creatures who I share that ecosystem with and I am grateful when I get to share in the harvest of the ocean. But none of that means I'm not going to mitigate risk as much as possible. Maybe I truly could do nothing in most cases, but I'd rather think out some scenarios ahead of time and try to put up a fight than to just roll over and die. You do what you want; I'll fight until I can't.

Actually, Mark's statement makes perfect sense, and reading what you wrote, you've already accepted that you aren't the apex predator.  All the mitigation in the world can't change that, and it seems you've mostly accepted that.  What he says just doesn't translate for you the same way it translates for him.  He's not saying he's gonna roll over and die, he's saying he knows the risks, accepts them, and I'm quite sure would do whatever he can to survive any attack that did happen to him.

Also, you can think out every scenario you like, but reality is this:

"No Battle Plan Survives Contact With the Enemy"
-Helmuth von Moltke

I'd also like to note that people who " don't accept that who keep kayak fishing" are not putting up some brave form of survival mentality, they are being ignorant of reality.

Other than the landlord I don't think there's much in the way of requiem or lamniform sharks that visit the PNW close enough to shore to be a concern...

Tell that to the big blue that checked me out at Hobuck this summer. I never felt threatened, but I'd be lying to say it didn't quicken my pulse a tick.

Blues normally stay much further off shore than that, or so I though.  They are considered a pelagic species.

Also, while they are requiem sharks, there's no confirmed un-provoked attacks by them on humans close to shore.  Other than the USS Indianapolis and other boat or plane accidents attacks are very rare. 

Blues normally stay much further off shore than that, or so I though.  They are considered a pelagic species.

It's not unheard of for blues to come in nearshore.

-Allem

Blues normally stay much further off shore than that, or so I though.  They are considered a pelagic species.

It's not unheard of for blues to come in nearshore.

-Allem

Not unheard of is differnet from commonplace.

E.g. It's not unheard of for an engineer to get laid.  It's just not a common event.

Blues normally stay much further off shore than that, or so I though.  They are considered a pelagic species.

It's not unheard of for blues to come in nearshore.

-Allem

Not unheard of is differnet from commonplace.

E.g. It's not unheard of for an engineer to get laid.  It's just not a common event.

Blues are extremely common nearshore.  There used to be guys targeting them regularly just out from the columbia.  Fishing 200yds offshore this summer, I watched one roll on the surface between Rawkfish and I while he was hooked up to a fat Chinook.    For some reason, Rawky didn't find that as funny as I did at the time.   

-Spot-