Spooky.

I hit the water late arvo today ( second session for the day) only me out, about shoulder high and nearly perfect but very very inconsistent. The water was crystal clear and a pleasure to be in. 200 metres to the south bait fish were jumping obviously being harassed by a predator.

Sitting there watching the sun getting lower, I decided the next wave would be the last wave as I don't like to temp fate, but the next wave was a hottie and so was the next after that. With in about 20 minutes that clear water began to go inky blue, and the bait fish were now jumping, south east and west of me.

Now I'm not one to worry about the wildlife 'BUT' I was beginning to feel like the boogie man was down there waiting for me, the water was now dark and scary and the next wave was really going to be the last,and all those bait fish?? The last wave was holding out on me, and I really didn't want to paddle in, I needed to catch one all the way through and then sprint into the channel to the boat.

That last wave wasn't coming and the bait fish were everywhere, I wasn't feeling so clever about my late surf now. That last wave did come and I never made it all the way and had to do the Olympic paddle to the boat, and as I dragged myself over the side I was thinking about how the ocean is our play ground but after a certain hour its almost the haunted forest.

But I wasn't scared no way not me.

Good post.

Ditto. Late surfing with dark ocean can be scary on it's own account, glad we don't have those big fishes around here to make things worse.

'westoz' says...

<snipped rest Tom's of sesh>

I don't care who you are, if you surf you've had similar experiences and thoughts as Tom. Sometimes it's just a brushing touch by something that moves. Sometimes it's just a sensation due to a thought. Sometimes it's a real encounter that freaks you out. Fer instance.

Two years ago at the GP1999, Mark, Sarge and I were ripping the very last waves of what was left of a hurricane. It was small but punchy and fun surf. Though crowded I managed to get one wave away from Sarge and powered into a small closing pit. As is my custom, instead of taking the beating I opted to punch through the back. I do this by sticking my arm fully into the wave face and sort of yanking myself and board through the wave. As I did this a spanish mackerel literally swam up the arm of my rash guard and bit into the fabric of the armpit. I came out the wave back with a 12 inch fish stuck up my sleeve. Spooked as shit I reflexively yanked it out and tossed it about 25 feet. Though I wasn't in danger the adrenaline rush gave me a buzz. Sorry to say the buggers bottom jaw remained attached to the sleeve and when I plucked it off, it left a small hole in the rashie. I guess he'll be eating through a straw for awhile.

I can't help when i surf alone to think about telltale signs, bait fish jumping, mysterious swirls nearby, and that they may indicate an unfriendly presence beneath. I attribute that thought process in the U.S to movies like Jaws, and the endless Shark Week type media frenzy concentrating on shark attacks and behaviors. A few years ago I drove down the Coast from San Fran to Santa Cruz. I passed a spot call Ana Nuevo. Large numbers of seals could be seen swimming near a rock outcropping and just outside a beautiful headhigh wave peeled, it's green face pocked with the brown heads of seals surfing it. I admired the beauty of that place and the perfection of that wave, but I would never paddle out there. Though I know statistically it is more likely I would die by slipping and falling in my shower, the specter of facing finned death as depicted on the Discovery Channel is something I would like to avoid.

In a little convenience store near Davenport some surfers came in. One wore a t-shirt with a big whitey on it which said, 'Respect the Locals.' Nuff said.

Thanks for the report Tom.

wrote on 6/12/01 7:27 AM:

nice story tom. sometimes makes you wonder eh?

6/12/01 8:16 AM:

ano and the davenport area are pretty well known for being sharky. if you plan to go there, it's good to know when it's mating season (mid-December through mid-March) and steer clear at those times. you have both whiteys in the water, as well as, 2 ton rogue bull sea elephants waiting for a cow to take a swim (and perhaps mistake a surfer for a competing bull or worse a hot little cow ;-O).

What is the current ratio of fact to fiction in your posts?

'tower7' says...

Everything in that one is true, except my name and the type of fish. I didn't know for sure so I asked a fisherman on the shore what was running that day and he said Spanish Mackeral.

On a good day, it's total fiction On an average day 60/40.

-Foon

'Writers aren't exactly people, they're a whole lot of people trying to be one person.' -F.Scott Fitzgerald

'The writer must write what he has to say, not speak it.' Ernest Hemingway

'I am always at a loss to know how much to believe of my own stories.' -Washington Irving

lloyd says...

Well thank you Lloyd, I've been compared to a lot of things in this group but not a hot little cow ;^)

-Hot Lil Foon

That was SOOOOOOO funnny. :-O

Here on the US east coast, we get those little situations. Usually it's striped bass (no worries) or bluefish (they like nibbling digits - nasty little bastards - but tasty ) chasing the baitfish. Stripers don't bother me at all, boring fish to eat but you can trade 'em. Bluefish, though, I'll make a reasonably rapid paddle for shore. They go into feeding frenzies like a salt water pirahna, just attacking whatever's there. I like my extremities the way they are, thank you.

It's always their ocean. We're land animals, evolved for chasing down four footed game on the plains of Africa. No matter how fast we can paddle, we can't go faster than the slowest fish.

Doc.... though I am faster than the average lobster.......