thefury
thefuryBeach ComberPhysical location: northern KY. Mental location: C5 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Comber
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I'm returning to the beaches I loved as a child after too many years on the Atlantic coast in Hilton Head. My children tease me about not entering the water in HH any deeper than my calves and I have the movie Jaws to thank for that! What can I say? I simply like to see what's in the water around me. Since I've heard plenty about sharks in Gulf waters and my children, ages 6 and 10, love to swim, I have my concerns. Are these concerns valid? Help me out folks! I've had a nightmare or two about this.😱
Replies
62thefury
thefuryBeach ComberPhysical location: northern KY. Mental location: C5 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach ComberAuthor
...turning to page 1038 in my handy Websters... reduction division, nope; reductivism, nope. Ah yes, here we are, redundant! Yep. That whole "dead deer carcass" thing would appear to be, well, you know.:blush:
Jdarg
JdargSoWal Expert18,040 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert
...turning to page 1038 in my handy Websters... reduction division, nope; reductivism, nope. Ah yes, here we are, redundant! Yep. That whole "dead deer carcass" thing would appear to be, well, you know.:blush:
Well, you know, asked the question. ;-) 😀
rapunzel
rapunzelBeach FanaticPoint Washington2,514 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
The only sharks around here that you have to worry about, hang out at Pandora's.
Sharks, cougars...that Pandora's is pretty much a safari.
seacrestkristiseacrestkristiBeach Fanatic3,538 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
:welcome: the fury. Try faith and a prayer. :wub: plus all the common sense stuff probably never hurt either.
RiverOtter
RiverOttergot any pics?Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States11,444 postsJoined View profileMessagegot any pics?
Let me see... no swimming from dusk to dawn, don't swim past the first sandbar, no shiny jewelry. What about swimming with a dead deer carcass tied around my neck? They are in abundance around here (northern KY) right now and we've got to do SOMETHING with them. 😀
Just remember, you don't have to out swim the shark....... you just have to out swim your buddy 😀
Paula
PaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
:welcome: TheFury:
We have two children, now 13 and 15, but we still don't swim much in the ocean. We go to the beach to hang out and enjoy the beach and shoreline (watch the dolphins, sunset, etc.; look for beach treasures; wade in the water near the shore; sometimes we stay very near the shore and swim a bit; make sand castles; read; nap) but when we want to really swim we go to the pool. I think about sharks (not too much) and moreso riptides. And the best advice is to not let the kids go in the water unless it's a green flag and even then keep your eye on them and not let them go too far. Frankly, I'd go in the water with them if they were in the water. I tend to be overly cautious in general. I notice, however, that the locals don't seem to get in trouble in the ocean -- it's usually the visitors who don't pay attention to the flags or common wisdom (e.g., use a life jacket when in a boat, wear sunscreen, etc.).
We take safety so much for granted in SoWal that we don't even think about it -- we just have a great time.
We have two children, now 13 and 15, but we still don't swim much in the ocean. We go to the beach to hang out and enjoy the beach and shoreline (watch the dolphins, sunset, etc.; look for beach treasures; wade in the water near the shore; sometimes we stay very near the shore and swim a bit; make sand castles; read; nap) but when we want to really swim we go to the pool. I think about sharks (not too much) and moreso riptides. And the best advice is to not let the kids go in the water unless it's a green flag and even then keep your eye on them and not let them go too far. Frankly, I'd go in the water with them if they were in the water. I tend to be overly cautious in general. I notice, however, that the locals don't seem to get in trouble in the ocean -- it's usually the visitors who don't pay attention to the flags or common wisdom (e.g., use a life jacket when in a boat, wear sunscreen, etc.).
We take safety so much for granted in SoWal that we don't even think about it -- we just have a great time.
Smiling JOe
Smiling JOeSoWal Expert31,643 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert
At the beach, I'd worry more about getting skin cancer than shark bites. ;-)
seagrover
seagroverBeach FanaticSeagrove Beach, FL802 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
I just say one about 4:30 this afternoon - he was swimming very near the shore - inside the second sand bar. We were looking at a "gar" or something like it and we all saw the shark swim by. Right here in Seagrove - S. Andalusia beach walk over area - for real!!!!
RudyjohnRudyjohnSoWal InsiderChicago Area7,736 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Insider
Just remember, you don't have to out swim the shark....... you just have to out swim your buddy 😀
:floor::floor::floor:
Uncle Timmy
Uncle TimmyBeach FanaticBlue Mountain Beach1,013 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
I just say one about 4:30 this afternoon - he was swimming very near the shore - inside the second sand bar. We were looking at a "gar" or something like it and we all saw the shark swim by. Right here in Seagrove - S. Andalusia beach walk over area - for real!!!!
Uh huh. I just love to take my morning swim with that prosthetic fin attached to my back. You should see the folks jump.........
Smiling JOe
Smiling JOeSoWal Expert31,643 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert




These sharks were caught near the beach, just a few miles away from SoWal's beaches. Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun :shark:
Bobby J
Bobby JBeach FanaticBlue Mountain beach4,041 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
Please note the sharks were not in there normal habitat when caught. The ones I have a problem with are the land sharks... They will come up and grab you right off the beach...Very scary. Actually, looking at the pics they got a little more to fear then we do!
Smiling JOe
Smiling JOeSoWal Expert31,643 postsJoined View profileMessageSoWal Expert
:roll: Well, the sharks certainly appear to have more teeth than the guys who reel in the sharks.
Paula
PaulaBeach FanaticMichigan but someday in SoWal as well3,747 postsJoined View profileMessageBeach Fanatic
At the beach, I'd worry more about getting skin cancer than shark bites. ;-)
And transfats if you eat twinkies at the beach. As I said, I'm happy swimming in the pool and enjoy the beach at the beach. I figure I just let Mother Nature and her creatures take charge and I live around them very happily.
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