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Old 03-18-2007, 08:57 PM
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ricki ricki is offline
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Default Sharks & Kites, Spring Is Here

We've heard news about shark sightings off SE Florida and some may have even seen video clips of some concerned citizens catering an inpromptu buffet at the beach.


From: http://www.nbc6.net/slideshow/432609...qs=;s=41;w=320 TWO years ago this month, the migrations have been going on a long time.

Today, the wind edged up into rideable conditions so I threw the gear in the car and tooled down to the beach. The wind was on the lighter side but felt like it might improve. Interestingly enough though there were sharks, A LOT of sharks, some within 10 ft. of the beach. They were pretty easy to see from the beach, visibility wasn't that bad. No one was out yet, not a bad call.



So, went about setting up in no particular hurry. After a while the that mass of sharks seem to have cleared off to the north. So, hit the water and rode for about six hours. The wind freshened nicely into gusts into about 24 kts by the end of the session. There was one more small group of sharks later on, but they seemed to hang close to the shore. When I first passed over them prior to deciding to stay further offshore, they reacted like sharks usually do, the hauled ass prompted by the board noise. At least they ignore you when UW with a camera. Actually, UW cameras are one of the best shark repellents ever created in my experience come to thing of it. They looked like spinner sharks, not in the mood to spin however. There was no bait kicking up, jumping sharks, diving sea birds or other normal indicators of particularly hazardous conditions (fishermen?). The sharks were apparently intent upon swimming up the coast and not much else. I did call it a day before sunset not wishing to push things. It was a good session, mainly for the wind but also the oddity of the sharks added to it.



More about the shark migration at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in684288.shtml
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Last edited by ricki; 03-18-2007 at 09:30 PM.
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Old 03-19-2007, 07:51 AM
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HIGHFLYN HIGHFLYN is offline
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Default Shark migration past Boynton Beach

From my Blog page @ BEST:

A Full Day

Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:47 pm

Woke up this morning to No wind & none forecast for the next few days. Although there was a small N groundswell rolling in. I hadn't surfed in months, so it was a wonderful thing to take out the Longboard and pick a few waist to stomach high waves off

Suddenly the non-forecast winds started to pick up. So I stopped by the house and swapped gear, then headed down to Hammock Park. Trying to find parking @ 12pm this time of year is INSANE. I got lucky and pulled it off in less then 15min
Hit the beach and was pleasently suprised the wind was steady from the N 13-15kts
I get myself rigged up w/the 13 & 135 while getting ready I notice the Life Guards had the RED flags up. Didn't think much of it since it was such a beautiful day. I hit the water and I'm off all smiles, Having already been out surfing and now I was kiting

Thats when I saw why the RED flags had been posted. Black Tip (spinner) sharks. Pods of them All over the place, mostly running the sandbars in water from 4ft to 12ft. What an absolutely wild thing to see as your gliding over them. They'd spook, Then dart & carve out of the way. It's there annual migration. I remeber it from last year, The plus this year is that the water is crystal clear. How increditable to be able to load up-Boost and while your up there look down at 12-20/4-5ft SHARKS beneath you. Freak'n Awsome! I watched one jump 3ft out of the water not 30ft from me
For the most part there nothing to fear or worry about. But when you see one Breach and then you fall near or right above a couple. It does get a bit creepy

They couldn't have bothered me that bad, cause I kited from 12 to 5:30
I believe the wind was a little stronger @ Hammock then LW
03 10 6:00 pm NNE 13-14
03 10 5:00 pm NNE 13-15
03 10 4:00 pm NNE 13-15
03 10 3:00 pm NNE 14-15
03 10 2:00 pm NNE 13-14
03 10 1:00 pm NNE 13-14
03 10 12:00 pm NNE 14-15

Today would have been a great day to have had a Kite-Cam or one that took still shots. I'm sure I could have counted over 100
Posted By: highflyn


I was also able to kite after work on Thru 3-15, the water was a bit stirred up. Which was a good and bad thing. Good because I couldn't see all the sharks that were beneath me. Bad because the ones that I did see were closer to the surface and they were definatly LARGER ones
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Old 03-19-2007, 08:39 AM
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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?
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Last edited by ricki; 03-19-2007 at 10:32 AM.
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Old 03-19-2007, 08:54 AM
JustinZ JustinZ is offline
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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?
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Old 03-19-2007, 10:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RickI View Post
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.


Quote:
Originally Posted by RickI View Post
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
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Old 03-19-2007, 06:43 PM
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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
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Old 03-19-2007, 07:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwiar2000 View Post
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.
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Old 03-20-2007, 08:18 PM
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Spring is in the air but so are kites and KITERS! So, some sharks are in the water, as long as they behave themselves live and let fly.

Tonight was a rare session, the kite was just the right size for the winds, this time a Waroo Pro 11 m with winds from around 20 to 24 kts.. There was a nice swell line about 250 ft. offshore great for ramping boosts off of. We were blasting a 1/4 mile down the breaker line and firing backup wind with the ENE to NE winds.

I saw one small spinner jump about 30 ft. away. If there had been more would have called it a day. Also saw one other in the water but viz. was no where as good as it was on Sunday when this thread was started. Anyway, it was an excellent session with nice jumps, great wave riding and no shark interactions, for me anyway.

Near the end of the session, a guy was jumping up and down and waving like crazy. Wasn't sure if he was communicating with me or not. He said that a shark had hit his surfboard, torn off some glass and bumped his foot. The foot looked OK and his board from a distance was missing a strip of glass along the nose. He was trying to call his friend in from about 250 ft. offshore with no success. Figuring statistically surfers are apparently more likely to have a bad shark encounter than kiters, in our area to date, I shot out and told the guy his friends woes and request.

The sun was setting, gold light was glancing off the swells and foam. It was a good time to get off the water with so many blacktips migrating through. The spinners may be moving through well into April, as long as they keep to themselves and the surfers, well enough. No way you would get me out there on a serving platter, uh surfboard. Don't get me wrong, kiters are still at risk. If they are in the water, they might as well be a hapless swimmer or surfer, so don't lose your board and hope a spinner doesn't lunge at moving targets, that is planing kiteboards!

Best part, there's more wind tomorrow in the forecast. Yeeha!
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Last edited by ricki; 03-21-2007 at 04:50 AM.
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Old 03-20-2007, 10:26 PM
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Surely some other folks have some great riding stories from this week. Let's here about it!
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Old 03-21-2007, 08:04 AM
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HIGHFLYN HIGHFLYN is offline
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Default Close Encounter

[ Mood: Shocked ] 3-20-07


Super fun session this afternoon! Great surf 3-5ft East power chop. I saw some really NICE rights (Head high to Overhead drops) on the south side of the Pier. The surfers were stoked! I had the entire North side (with several chunky outside sections) to myself, So I was stoked

I do believe I almost became "that" kiteboarder that was bitten by a shark. I was 40yards north of the pier and out by the end. It's probally 20-25ft depth out there. I pull a weak areial transition and sink a bit apon landing, as I power up to take off. I see this fish come up to the surface with speed from the direction my ass was just positioned in. Off to the side it darts showing it's size/shape and med/light brown color and away I go.
While riding away I think to myself was it a snook (oh how I wish it was) I knew it wasn't, Not at close to 6ft in length. Perhaps all the Bird activity that was out in 30-40ft of water should have been a clue to me.
It was defanitly a shark, the last few weeks we've had an annual migration of Black Tip (spinner) Sharks heading North and with this weeks rough conditions the water has been churned up. Glad he opted not to take a bite

Put it out of my mind and kited on! Definatly a FUN session on the 9m & 127
Kited from 5:30 to 7:30
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