Forget the rocks, sharks and out of control kites

[DanB]

Hey all,

Just wanted to post a first for me. Hit by a jumping fish!

Yes, today at skyway about 7 pm riding along and a fish jumped out of the water and hit my left thigh. Left six small puncture wounds and a nice broken blood vessel. (sorry no pics planned)

With my odds I am going to try the lottery this week. Otherwise nice evening ride good wind and not too crowded and avoided Bryan's kitemare-glad he is doing well-had a morning meeting otherwise would have been out there too.

Dan

I spooked a dolphin once (which I didn't see)... he kicked hard under me and knocked me and my board a few inches out of the water. Let me tell you, I thought I was about to see JAWS looking me in the eye as I gasped my last breath!

I almost got hit by a big ass needlefish in Pamlico Sound back in 2001 or so. I didn't see him but Jay Crawford (who was then with Real) was chasing me on a jetski and was saying "oh, shit," because the needlefish was chasing me as I tooled around, probably because of the board leash dragging in the water.

I got worked the next day after lacerating an artery in my foot on a shell and the OBX doctor told me that they have had more than one incident of a kiter or a poleboarder having a needlefish jump, impact a leg, and inflict a deep wound, like a stab wound that can kill if it hits an artery.

Oh, yeah, and then there was the incident earlier this year during which Scott and I were menaced by a whale/nuclear submarine/bull dolphin at south Skyway.

One time I was night riding and I see this white thing out of the corner of my eye. Scared the crap out of me, but I didn't see what it was. So I tack back and I see it again. I'm like wtf is that! Then out of nowhere this stone white clam jumps out of the water looks me in the eye with his one foot and says "get the F@#$ outta my spot kook" and then squirts me in the eyes with water.

Dude I packed up and left in a hurry. Now that I am doing some unhooked tricks I'm gonna go back and see if he still thinks I'm a kook. Stupid clam.

The worst menace around here is not sharkz or clamz, it is crabz. In all seriousness, I have been bitten by crabz at the Skyway again and again and it hurtz like hell, particularly when they get you on the toez, and you know what they are saying: "get the F@#$ outta my spot!" Especially if it is a bitchy she-crab.

Yeah, I know what you are thinking, E Bone has crabz, hahaha.

When I get bit by a crab, I almost always shut the session down cuz it is an ill omen. One time I blew off the crab-bite warning, went back out, sent it and tried to work out some weird backroll move and instead pounded the water so hard it left bruises on my arm and chest. Heed the crabz.

A really big needlefish is a houndfish.
They kill several people a year. Let me look up the data and get back.

Also, a jumping manta ray (400 pounds plus) can be a real killer, literally.
Let me look up the stats. I once had an airborne ray hit my center console of the boat in the keys. It ripped the grab rail and ferring right off the boat. Yikes....

In Jupiter if you sail out about a mile, the flying fish will have a tendency to fly around and sometimes into you. I bet Rick has seen this.

The worst critter, imo though, is the f'n oyster. They just sit there and wait for you to come to them. Bastards.