Aussie surf pics & clips!

[Slowman]

Chris, maybe you heard some news about the Western Australian premier's announcement that they will introduce shark culling. In WA they do have a problem with great whites migrating from Seth Efrika - the bastards are ferociously hungry by the time they come up out of the deep ocean trenches and hit the coastline. Not sure what time of year this occurs (spring?) but your chances increase around those times of becoming a snack. Other than that as the waters warm up they become more active near beaches everywhere. I personally avoid, dawn and dusk at certain beaches. It hasn't gotten bad enough that I've had to resort to using burleigh at one of the beach so I can go surf the other!

Though as 50young says more chance of a motoring fatality. Hey 50young leave a bit earlier when there is no traffic!

[David_KJeep]

I don't think there is a season where sharks are more present in the area or more hungry. I think there have been 5 or 6 fatalities over the last 12 months in WA waters hence the governement introduced a new regulation allowing to catch and kill the protected great whites if they are coming around popular beaches and threatening the beachgoers. I know it's dividing the community over wether or not we should kill the great whites as it seems some alternatives are possible (like not burrying whale carcass along the shore where all the oil is flowing in the ocean attracting the sharks...). Anyway, what do you reckon?

I'm still going in the water, even at dawn or dusk but I reckon I'm more cautious around those times and some of my mates are going back in before dusk to avoid the risk.

[Slowman]

David, I'd heard this "migration theory" from marine biologists that have been tagging and tracking great whites. Before they started tracking them they had no idea that they were migrating from SA to WA through deep ocean trenches in the Indian ocean, where there would be little food available - sounds plausible to me.

On the score of culling, for sure there are alternatives. Electronic shark shield networks could be used to protect certain beaches, say the most popular ones, so that everyone could go to a "safe" beach nearby. When I did an Ironman WA at Busselton in 2004 they used electronic protection (Shark Shield) like this for the swim because there had been a couple of attacks nearby. Seems like an idea that should please everybody. I can't understand why it hasn't caught on, the maintenance costs compared with the cost shark netting and checking the nets daily must be cheaper.

[Fazza]

Living and surfing in the South West WA it is always in the back of your mind, I try to avoid dawn and dusk and always surf with a few mates. There are plenty of people talking about it and possible solutions. There was a few shark sitings last weekend at a few popular surf breaks which were closed for a day or so. In the last few months I have been wearing a shark shield from Hawaii by ESDS and never saw anyone with one now seeing lots of people wearing them. I know there is no guarantee but if you get some peace of mind for you and the wife then it has to be worth it.

I have recently read and independent report on the effectiveness of shark shields and although there was no definitive proof that they are 100% effective with all shark types and sizes they concluded that it was better to have one than not. They also found that they do not attract sharks, sharks will hear your heart beat before they will know you have a shark shield on.

I think there has been a major effect on people holidaying in the south west and usually on a long weekend before the school holidays the cars are streaming down from Perth but not last weekend there was hardly anyone on the road.

[Slowman]

Found an interesting discussion comparing Shark Shield with ESDS here http://www.wadivers.com.au/forums/vi...php?f=7&t=8181

The ESDS unit is far more appealing for surfing being so small. Hopefully more testing and better data will show the limits of both units.

I haven't seen anyone wear one over here on the east coast yet but I'd be thinking about one for my beach for dawn patrol. The next beach around has the most great white sightings pa in the area!

[Will.]

I visited Australia when I was younger and loved it, such an amazing place. My uncle lived near Byron Bay, Fernleigh, Bangalow area. Id love to go back and live there for a few months, the sharks and spiders do put me off though hahaha! I think the East/south east coast (queensland, new south wales) is where I would like to go, are there generally more parts of australia which are sharkier than others or are they just everywhere?

[Slowman]

In the Byron Bay area Wategos and Tallows (the back beach around the corner from Wategos) are supposedly the sharkier spots and I recall surfing there one day with a baby shark swimming through the lineup chasing fish. It swam right underneath me probably only 4' no one else was worried so I didn't either, there are lots of fish in the water, so hopefully they are well fed.

Here's an article that identifies the spots where the most attacks have occurred http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225971145872 it's thesis is fascinating too, about how sharks (great whites at least) use an anchor point from which to observe and select a victim before closing in. You will find Byron Bay on the list but the last fatality was in 1993. While the Gold Coast doesn't get a mention in summer it is thick with bull sharks, I can't recall any fatalities, the bloody things are swimming around in the canals in some of these developed housing estates with their own waterways where you can park the motorcruiser out the back.

[Will.]

Is that the article you show to us poms to scare us off? ha ha ha! Interesting read and very fascinating I agree.

[Slowman]

Looks like I became part of the local surf report. Desperate, riding 1' closeouts trying to test the JK out at Elouera.
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[core personal training]

there's a five in the AM..??????????........