I’m sure this is a subject that bring eye rolls to many paddlers, but hear me out. I’ve been paddling for several years now and always had a little anxiety of encountering a great white in my journeys, but seeing as how I typically keep to the north shore of Massachusetts I have felt largely safe. This upcoming season I really would love to explore the Monomoy Islands off of Chatham, but as those of you who may be familiar with the area, those waters are the literal hotbed of great white populations in the region. Combine my irrational fear with pictures/videos of these might creatures BREACHING, not just in some far away place, but in the exact waters I wish to go is dissuading to trying this trip.
Any advice, tips, or stories from anyone familiar with this area? The idea of this thread is to put my mind at ease, but I’ll take good or bad, if I really should find somewhere else I’d like to know that as well.
Stay away from seals and fish schools. If your boat is one with the “fish scale” carbon fiber , clear with the weave visible you may look like bait in some light conditions. (Esp night) Same with carbon fiber paddles. Spinners will go after the paddles. If you see of hear of GW feeding or sightings don’t go close for pictures.
Follow your heart don’t go it won’t be fun if you’re worrying.
Very little chance of a bad encounter. Go in a group as it is always best for other safty reasons as well. What’s that kayak saying Go to sea take Three. Also you might pick a season when they aren’t as active.
But if you have a lot of concern pdog is right it won’t be fun.
Get a bang stick.
First, how real is the risk? I went through a list of unprovoked shark attack deaths to see how often Massachusetts shows up, and the first listing I found was from the 1930s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal,_unprovoked_shark_attacks_in_the_United_States
I’ve been paddling in the “red triangle” of Northern California for years, which is known for great white shark attacks (we get about 1 kayaker attacked per year). Never been attacked nor seen a shark. The actual risk seems to be rather low.
And as a kayaker, you are also protected somewhat (as compared to a swimmer or surfer). If a shark does bite, the boat will take most or all of the damage.
Overall, the risk of being attacked is small. Of being killed is even smaller. I wouldn’t bother with bang sticks, shark repellent or anything like that, bit would bring a PLB or VHF or other means of on-water communication.
I was in school, and helped on a collection trip with the guy who has compiled the world shark attack records. The news media always seems to interview him when there is a publized attack. He would confirm what Pete said.
There are more shark attacks in Volusia County, Florida than anywhere else in the USA. I spent a good deal of time swimming and wading there growing up. It can happen, but I am more worried by other drivers on the road as I drive to the coast to paddle than sharks. Still if you have a bad feeling about this it will certainly impact your enjoyment of paddling where you suggest.
I would suggest spending more time confirming tide schedules than worrying about sharks for that paddle. It can be pretty wild and woolly at the south tip of South Monomoy, and you may have to go thru there. Massachusettsets leaves the channels in that area to the sea. So the time I did the full trip, there was no passage between the two Monomoys. A storm had filled it in.
Also check landing and launch points. That trip, the very skinny passage we used between the mainland and North Monomoy to get to where we stated was filled in by a storm just two weeks later. The was a pretty pissed off bull seal in the passage when we went thru, but it was his choice to be where we had to go…
All that said, if you can time it to ride a tide out and back in again it can be a very effective trip.
Seals are coming back and along with them shark’s follow. Doubt a radio will do much good in an attack. Won’t hurt if you’re still kicking after the attack.
I recall several articles and even a documentary some years ago about sharks having an instinctive aversion to strong black and white (zebra) patterns, thought to be because stripe pattern venomous sea snakes are among the few animals that can cause them harm. Apparently they sell stripe pattern wetsuits and diveskins now for water sportspeople and workers in waters with dangerous shark populations. I don’t recall examples of painting or taping boat hulls with the pattern but one would think it would have the same effect – article below shows striped surfboards. Maybe other posters on here have more information on that.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/07/shark-attack-wetsuit/397772/
@willowleaf said:
I recall several articles and even a documentary some years ago about sharks having an instinctive aversion to strong black and white (zebra) patterns, thought to be because stripe pattern venomous sea snakes are among the few animals that can cause them harm. Apparently they sell stripe pattern wetsuits and diveskins now for water sportspeople and workers in waters with dangerous shark populations. I don’t recall examples of painting or taping boat hulls with the pattern but one would think it would have the same effect – article below shows striped surfboards. Maybe other posters on here have more information on that.https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/07/shark-attack-wetsuit/397772/
Seaward has done some kayaks in zebra patterns.
What happens with a band stick when you blast a shark and he bleeds does it bring more?
Remember in Jaws, how the music was so instrumental in manipulating your emotions. In this clip, the music changes at 0:43 and the fear and anxiety, as if by magic, is transformed into something more akin to eager excitement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUVJIXrEWss. Maybe take a waterproof music player and play happy music if you start to feel anxious 
.
Risks vs reward. We paddled where we KNEW there was a great white lurking. It had been radiotagged. It had a name: George. Everglades Rangers cautioned watch for George. Never saw it. Rats. If you fear seals as they may be shark magnets, avoid Maine.
In 30 years I have seen lots of seals and no sharks.
Some people have too much time to fan their imaginations.
Take a cyanide pill when attack starts bite down. You won’t feel a thing.then when shark eats you, you know he’s dead too. Just because you can’t see shark’s they say they are everywhere.
When I lived and worked in Australia for 3 years, I paddled with local kayak group. One of the favorite trips was one called “Shark Lotto” on Port Phillip Bay out to Seal Rocks. Expectations was to see sharks eating seals. I was far more concerned about some large and angry seal landing on my deck than their predators. One particular day I was attacked by a huge colony of ants that crept into my parked car while I paddled. Risk is all relative.
@PaddleDog52 said:
Take a cyanide pill when attack starts bite down. You won’t feel a thing.then when shark eats you, you know he’s dead too. Just because you can’t see shark’s they say they are everywhere.
Are you for real? You have a comment for everyone…
@PaddleDog52 said:
Take a cyanide pill when attack starts bite down. You won’t feel a thing.then when shark eats you, you know he’s dead too. Just because you can’t see shark’s they say they are everywhere.
The problem with the pill is that sharks don’t usually consume a human they just taste them so right there you wasted the pill.