Sharks & Kites, Spring Is Here

[ricki]

Hey Mike,

Were you able to make it out late yesterday? The sideshore wind cooked off! I could have used more waves but it was mighty fine all the same.

Your point about falling near a couple of sharks, I would work to avoid that! They only severe shark attack on a kiter that I have heard about worldwide, involved a guy cheaping out, trying to teach himself to kite in lieu of quality lessons off Hutchinson Island. Too much time in the water particularly with bait kicking up and sharks in the water is a bad idea! They seem to ignore kiters on plane some of the time absent feeding behaviours in OUR area, still experience has shown bathers and surfers are fair game and will be attacked on ocassion. So, once you're in the water your risk appears to go up substantially. I wouldn't be astonished to see a shark go after a board on plane. Of course at the time, there would be a fair amount of astonishment all the same!

The swells of LW Saturday were intense. We went to a wedding on the beach late. Guys were getting 300 ft. rides down the waves! Better than head high too. The wind was side offshore so no good for kiting.

Have the guys off Miami been seeing the spinner migration?

[JustinZ]

I live in Miami Beach on Collins and 50th street. I usually kite over at Crandon or Matheson because I like the flat water but occassionally I will go out in the back of the building when the wind is strong enough and the surf is not too crazy. I have been out there a few times in the last couple of weeks but I have never seen a shark. I think I would freak out if I did.

I am usually the only kiter when I go kiting behind my building. Sometimes I see people riding up in the 60's and I know a lot of people kite off of 87th street. Has anyone been seeing any sharks off the coast of Miami Beach?

[HIGHFLYN]

Originally Posted by RickI

Hey Mike,

Were you able to make it out late yesterday? The sideshore wind cooked off! I could have used more waves but it was mighty fine all the same.

Absolutely!! It ROCKED yesterday from noon till after I left the beach @ 5pm

I kited Outside Boynton Inlet on the Sand bar, There was a perfect 1-3ft A-frame peak out there. It's been an fantastic month so far!

Hopefully you got your fair share too.

Originally Posted by RickI

The swells at LW Saturday were intense. We went to a wedding on the beach late. Guys were getting 300 ft. rides down the waves! Better than head high too. The wind was side offshore so no good for kiting.

I missed that swell, It was small in the am. But did continue to pick up thru out the day. Wind actually went side-on for a while & I wanted to hit the beach, But had priors that I couldn't get out of
No complaints here though, I've been getting my share

[kiwiar2000]

I know there are numerous sandbars in Miami Beach(especially South Beach). Then, there are deep water places not that far away from shore. I,too, never seen a shark in Miami Beach. Im guessing they're afraid of the Spring Breakers...
Yup, I remember a couple years ago in Boyton Inlet that received no less than 50 sharks near shore... scarry stuff
-Danny

[ricki]

Originally Posted by kiwiar2000

I know there are numerous sandbars in Miami Beach(especially South Beach). Then, there are deep water places not that far away from shore. I,too, never seen a shark in Miami Beach. Im guessing they're afraid of the Spring Breakers...
Yup, I remember a couple years ago in Boyton Inlet that received no less than 50 sharks near shore... scarry stuff
-Danny

I spoke to Paul Menta down in KW tonight and asked if the spinners had shown up there. Apparently not at least not near shore. I guess the narrowing continental shelf and temperature gradient might concentrate the sharks closer to shore off Palm Beach County.

That is a slew of sharks that you saw off of Boynton Inlet. We may have had that much, perhaps more cruise by the beach within 20 ft. in Delray when I first arrived on Sunday. Interesting stuff and a bad time to have left your UW camera at home. I have so few good free swimming shark photos. I once found a spot on the first reef off Ft. Lauderdale where a bunch of free swimming sharks showed up over several dives. I think it was a former inlet some time in the past as there was nothing else noteworthy about the spot. The one time I took a camera out, no sharks. A manta ray did show up as a consolation prize though.