Tell us a tale!

ivan salis · Jul 11, 2016

grossmusic -- sharks mainly hunt by "bloody smells" and odd erratic movements -- both will draw sharks from a long ways off -- once they get close they use their eyes to find the prey animal --as they close in to bite --they have a white protective coating that covers their eyes to prevent them being damaged

ivan salis · Jul 11, 2016

sads most divers carry a strap on blunted flat tipped screw driver type dive knives --with a rope cut (saw type) side and smooth bladed side ---pointed sharp types are generally thought as for military divers who might have to fight other humans

SADS 669 · Jul 11, 2016

Ivan,

I normally have a small really sharp knife in a pocket. ( end broken off though ha ha) Also.....

I bungee strap a 2 foot long stainless steel 1 inch thick hollow pole with a rope spliced handle and cut off at 45*'at the other end on every dive.

Never had to use it in thousands of dives but it felt great to have it onboard when a 10 to 12 ft Tiger shark just cruised by recently. He would have used it as a tooth pick but it still felt good to have it......

ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1468238313.125828.webp

Boatlode · Jul 11, 2016

SADS 669 said:
Ivan,

I normally have a small really sharp knife in a pocket. ( end broken off though ha ha) Also.....

I bungee strap a 2 foot long stainless steel 1 inch thick hollow pole with a rope spliced handle and cut off at 45*'at the other end on every dive.

Never had to use it in thousands of dives but it felt great to have it onboard when a 10 to 12 ft Tiger shark just cruised by recently. He would have used it as a tooth pick but it still felt good to have it......

View attachment 1335356

Stop it. All this chest beating is going to scare Tammy and she will have second thoughts about getting certified. And then I won't get to take her diving in the Keys. Every diver has a shark story, but nobody ever has any teeth marks.

old man · Jul 11, 2016

Boatlode said:
Stop it. All this chest beating is going to scare Tammy and she will have second thoughts about getting certified. And then I won't get to take her diving in the Keys. Every diver has a shark story, but nobody ever has any teeth marks.

Boatlode, Sorry about the shark story. I hope you and Tammy have a great dive. However, I can guarantee you the only thing beating that day long ago was my Heart going a mile a minute and and rear end puckered up for a week.
But, you're right. We've all seen sharks and have never had any teeth marks.

ivan salis · Jul 11, 2016

thankfully sharks as a general rule don't seem to view humans as food ...

grossmusic · Jul 11, 2016

I guess I've played the odds when it comes to sharks.

I often (stupidly) swim out way beyond the breakers to get away from splashing kids here on the Treasure Coast. I'm an ex water polo player & let's just say I'm naturally buoyant, so I like to enjoy calm water & sunbathe from the water. Last time I swam out that far I saw a manatee go by, then a barracuda (or maybe a small shark? I didn't have goggles), then a dorsal fin I've never been able to confidently identify as dolphin or small shark. It had a smooth steady motion gliding across the surface. Most of the dolphins I watch on the Banana River only come up for a breath & don't stay at the surface more than a second or two. Anyhow, had I been attacked, no one could have saved me. I was way too far out. Dumb.

I also went WAY too far off the shore of Southern India in the Arabian Sea where apparently (so they told me later) it's very shark infested. My biggest fear there was all the natives clamoring to swim out as far as me then use me as a lifesaver while I was fully dressed (because it would be "disrespectful" for a woman to swim in a swimsuit). My lifeguard training kicked in & rather than help any, I fought them all off & went even farther out so they wouldn't drown me. Considering the shark threat, this too was very dumb. (Back on shore some of the natives played in a weird whirlpool, but it was shallow & no one was in jeopardy. Never seen anything like it before/since.)

I should be more scared of sharks than I am probably.

Boatlode · Jul 11, 2016

old man said:
But, you're right. We've all seen sharks and have never had any teeth marks.

I still maintain that a sea urchin is the most dangerous creature in the ocean.

agflit · Jul 11, 2016

Saads...you may have noticed my lil ol blunt tipped 3.5" bcd knife?... properly inserted in a smooth motion into the near top of the hamstring..ensures I need not fear having to outswim a shark..I only have to swim slightly faster than my dive buddy!!...

*cough cough*

:thumbsup:

ag

SADS 669 · Jul 12, 2016

Flit, we getting a story, how about you Archie?

ARC · Jul 12, 2016

***ARC remembers the "scar scene" from the movie Jaws. ***

SADS 669 · Jul 12, 2016

Scar scene?

ARC · Jul 12, 2016

Yes...
Where they are sitting in cabin drinking and singing...
And they begin with "you know how I got this scar" etc.
:P

Boatlode · Jul 12, 2016

AARC said:
***ARC remembers the "scar scene" from the movie Jaws. ***

LOL - I was thinking the same thing.

TreasureCDave · Jul 12, 2016

As far as sharks while diving ....

My experience is that they tend to go in the opposite direction when humans are present. And, they know you are there before you do. Shark "attacks" are usually people near a bait fish pod or spear fishers and the sharks are going for the bait or bagged fish. The people were just in the way.

ARC · Jul 12, 2016

TreasureCDave said:
As far as sharks while diving ....

My experience is that they tend to go in the opposite direction when humans are present. And, they know you are there before you do. Shark "attacks" are usually people near a bait fish pod or spear fishers and the sharks are going for the bait or bagged fish. The people were just in the way.

I don't know what water your in... heh

My experience is the larger more aggressive sharks are curious.
The larger ones are progressively coming in closer and closer as well...
And species that are not normally in this water are being "seen" now...

Like the White that rolled up on me and surfaced as I got on the boat...
First sight I thought was a huge Bull...
First White I have seen in the wild... close up...

Too close.

Face of Shell Key... In 12- 15 foot of water.

Standing on edge of the deck looking at her roll and the eye meeting my eye...
Made a shiver crawl up my spine.

For I never even knew she was there.

agflit · Jul 12, 2016

You want a story?...

Lets start with setting the scene....

" I was a dark and stormy night....."

:thumbsup:

Salvor6 · Jul 12, 2016

I was sitting behind some rocks in 50' deep water waiting to ambush some snapper. I had six fish on my stringer. I felt something move behind me around my legs. When I looked back there was a 4' nurse shark trying to get my fish. I jumped up and the shark swam right below me. I poked him with my spear gun and he took off at high speed. I thought well, that's enough for today! Head back to the boat.