We have had 2 good surfs in the last 2 days, which is a relief because there have been no banks for weeks at our local break and the last full moon played havoc, really messing up the ocean as well as my head. Last night we were at the bar at our local pub to get our weekly porterhouse and beer when a young woman came in asking if the barmaid could change TV stations (from the usual boring sport). Apparently she wanted to hear if her surfer-friend had made the news because he had been attacked by a shark that day.When you surf shark attacks are not things you want to hear about but feel you must stay informed. According to the ABC: 'Michael Bedford (40) was surfing 150 metres offshore at Conspicuous Cliff beach near Walpole yesterday when he was attacked. The shark, believed to be a white pointer, knocked him off his board before coming back to charge him a second time. Mr Bedford managed to scramble onto his board before a well-timed wave pushed him into shore'. The local gossip was that the guy was a local who had been surfing there for years, that he was OK, but had sustained quite severe leg injuries. The ABC news said he had to have 300 stitches so looks like he will still have 2 legs and won't have to take up boogie boarding.
Conspicuous Cliffs is a fair way away from us along the coast but I have to admit to feeling a bit vulnerable out there in the surf at our local break today. I had a wave all to myself which is what I usually prefer. Today I was getting pulled out by one of the rips that have been very active lately and which are also responsible for the great bank where I was surfing, so I was continually finding myself further out than intended and having to paddle back in. A lot of seaweed pretending to be shark shadows didn't help either, especially when you have an over-active imagination like mine. I even found myself wishing someone would come and share the wave with me but they were all around the bay. I remember last year after a huge white pointer bit someone at the iconic family friendly Middleton Beach how a lot of surfers stayed quite close in and surfed the smaller shore break for a while, so I don't feel too stupid.When I first started surfing 8 years ago I thought that sharks would be my biggest concern, given all of the dreams I have had about them lurking in the water, but in reality I don't think much about them at all and far more about being held down and drowning instead. Except today.
images: Conspicuous Cliffs, stolen from the net
