RealSurf Surfers' Forum

Not really wanting to start yet another thread on sharks (yes I'm practically rolling my eyes too) but I'm heading to Nth NSW next week for several days of surfing. Every day there seems to be mass evacuations from the water due to sharks. Random sightings I am comfortable with, but this is getting F'ing ridiculous. I'm not going to be stupid and float about in front of river mouths in Ballina, but surely its not too much to ask to grab a few waves at somewhere like The Pass without becoming a meal for some over zealous marine creature.
Can any local up that way provide some insight as opposed to what the media hype/hysteria is feeding us? Are you guys actually staying out of the water? I heard from a reliable source that there was literally zero people in the water at Byron the other day. I'm sure that still meant the usual obligatory surfers were out but no one else? Byron?? WTF?

Thanks

Not a local but I just surfed until dark in the Byron area. 2-3 foot rifling barrels, 3 out.
Smallest weekend crowd I've seen in about 10 years.
Lots of crew chatting about shark shields in the car park.
Lots of diving birds. apparently there were 4 midsize whites at the wreck yesterday arvo.

Boo. Are you down there tomorrow? Figure seeing as you had the early and late you might be there for weekend?

Yeah mate.
Send me a pm if you want to catch up

Didnt happen to see Shearer on hour travels did you Boo?

Wasn't in his patch.

i'm pretty sure forensics attained it was suicide, not homicide ...

Gumby wrote:Surely its not too much to ask to grab a few waves at somewhere like The Pass without becoming a meal for some over zealous marine creature.
Thanks

There's more of a risk of being run over at The Pass by a Euro-kook on a hired mal.

... or going by latest police reports, your twelve times more likely to have your car stolen than you are to see a shark in byron.

chrisb wrote:

Gumby wrote:Surely its not too much to ask to grab a few waves at somewhere like The Pass without becoming a meal for some over zealous marine creature.
Thanks

There's more of a risk of being run over at The Pass by a Euro-kook on a hired mal.

Well that's considered more of a dead certainty, so I measure that one in terms of it NOT happening. The risk is low.

Just checked the cam that views the Pass, counted 80 surfers out.

Went down to Heavens Ed this morning got there at 7 am no one out, only 2 other surfers checking it, talk about collective fear, it has been 9 days since the attack, locals say the bloke is going to be ok, still needs surgery on his hand, the bite snapped his femur, god there must some power in a sharks jaw.
The three of us decide to paddle out, I was the only one with a shark shield, haven't used it for several years, thought the lithium battery might not hold its charge but it worked fine, the pulse it gives off is a similar buzz to an electric fence, when paddling out beside the groyne a fisherman says 'Your more chance of getting a bite than me''.
The waves were fun 3-4' rights, about an hour later 2 other surfers come out and by 10 oclock there are 15 surfers out.

Later hear from other surfers of more shark sightings up Byron way earlier in the week.

Suddenly a crowded option is the more atttactive option

Preferably a crowd of boogie boarders.

The c word was the general consensus at the meeting at Lennox last night.
http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/sha ... g/2736661/

Was Steve Shearer in attendance?

Drailed wrote:Was Steve Shearer in attendance?

He was handing out 'how to vote' cards at the entrance.