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View Poll Results: Shark encounters AS A DIVER
No never 4 17.39%
1 - 2 7 30.43%
3 - 4 3 13.04%
5+ 9 39.13%
Voters: 23. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 10-23-2017, 11:19 AM   #1
rowow
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Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

This thread is a corrected poll for those who had shark encounters UNDERWATER AS A DIVER in the Tampa bay region. Sharks are everywhere there is water especially in the Tampa bay region which is know as a breeding zone for many shark species. Because of this many people are afraid of diving the Tampa bay due to believing that its a shark frenzy.

However with all the people ive asked and all the dives ive personally done I have never had any shark encounters. Compare this to the east coast where you see a shark on almost every dive or two. If you had any shark encounters UNDERWATER AS A DIVER please share your experience. Otherwise it looks like another fishing rumor.
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Old 10-23-2017, 01:18 PM   #2
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

I've never done the bay, so I guess I won't vote.
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Old 10-23-2017, 01:20 PM   #3
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

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I've never done the bay, so I guess I won't vote.
Don't feel bad, never has he.
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Old 10-23-2017, 04:00 PM   #4
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

Well, just because he's a spook doesn't mean he never fantasizes about spearfishing.... I know I do....

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Old 10-23-2017, 04:02 PM   #5
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

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Well, just because he's a spook doesn't mean he never fantasizes about spearfishing.... I know I do....
You seriously believe him?
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Old 10-23-2017, 04:05 PM   #6
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

What, did I forget to apply the /sarcasm font? Sorry about that!

Plus it was a wonderful opportunity to insinuate that I too was a spy. But of course I am not a spy.
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Old 10-23-2017, 04:06 PM   #7
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

These two posts have gotten flat out silly. Are there sharks in Tampa Bay - yes. Do you see them often - no. Why? Vis sucks in the Bay. Typically, in the summer vis always sucks, in the winter it will clear up. So when it's clearer, the sharks are mostly gone from our area.

If you spear around sharks a lot, you know that a typical encounter is them approaching to within about 10-15' away and then turning off. If they get worked up, they'll make a lot of passes at that distance, but most of them will turn away before they're even close enough to get poked by an outstretched gun. If the place you are diving is typically 10' or less vis, you're not going to see most of the sharks. Just the ones that are a little more "friendly". They're not relying on their vision the same way you are. If the visibility is 5' or 50', they're operating pretty much the same way.

I've been here since '04 and have dove the Bay since then. Not just the bridges, but the rock piles, markers, artificial reefs and wrecks. I typically see 2 or 3 a year and usually when the water is warmer. I've never had an "issue" with a shark in the Bay, but I also don't keep fish on me until the water gets down into about the 60s.

Some of my more memorable encounters:

This May I was on an artificial reef in the Bay with bad vis, about 3'. We already had a few fish in the boat, and as I went to drop, I poked a shark that was below me. I didn't see it because vis was nowhere close to end of gun range. It scared that absolute crap out of the shark. I knew I hit a shark because there were silver fins flashing everywhere as it tried taking off. I don't know if he was checking me out or just happened to be below me as I was dropping. I called everyone out and we moved spots after that.

One winter on an artificial reef, we had about 10' vis. We jumped in the water, and on the first drop I came up on an area of cloudy water. As I came up to it, a bull popped out of it. Reminded me of a plane coming out of a cloud that way it happened. We had just gotten in, so he was chasing his own meal.

Another winter on a wreck with about 3' vis, I was coming up from a dive and got spun around. My dad was in the boat fishing, and I asked if he'd seen any dolphin around, he said no, so we got out of the water. In fairness, that could have been someone in a mini-sub, a turbocharged manatee, or one of Zacker's SPO sheepshead running for cover.

One of the reasons I don't typically dive in the Bay in summer - On a marker, I was castnetting bait for an offshore trip, as I was pulling up the net, a school of cobia followed it up. I went back home, grabbed my dive gear and went back. I jumped in, swam over to a post, dropped down to the bottom, and waited for one of them to swim by. The first thing to swim by was a 10' hammerhead.

My favorite Bay shark story was a friend of mine diving off his friend's sportfisher. While they were diving, the owner sat up in the tuna tower watching them. After they got out of the water, the guy in the tower asked if it bothered him to be diving around so many sharks. They never saw a single one in the water.

If you want to find out about sharks in Tampa Bay, look up any of the hundreds of people that fish for them. With the typical vis, you just aren't going to see them unless you're baiting them in and waiting for them.
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Old 10-23-2017, 04:18 PM   #8
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

"Matt", that is a great and very entertaining writeup, three thumbs up. You only forgot to state that you are not a spy, which looks suspicious...
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Old 10-23-2017, 04:43 PM   #9
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

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Originally Posted by smilinmatt View Post
These two posts have gotten flat out silly. Are there sharks in Tampa Bay - yes. Do you see them often - no. Why? Vis sucks in the Bay.
Matt, thanks for pointing out the obvious. If have had truly dove the area, he would know that already and wouldn't be asking. Especially given his claims of targeting diving during the low after driving all the way from Orlando to do so. Nobody is foolish enough to do that more than once. Also, his comment about swimming to the main span from the S side in those tides was truly a dead give away. I've been keeping mum so that he hung himself. This guy has been a total D in the P&R section, trying to convince us he's a socialistic gun lover.

So, tell us Rowow, exactly WHERE/WHAT area do you dive off the S side to encounter these schools of all kinds of delicious fish that you've proclaim to have seen in the other thread?? Careful how you answer, you now have 2 people at least, that know the area, listening.
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Old 10-23-2017, 04:49 PM   #10
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

Quote:
Originally Posted by smilinmatt View Post
These two posts have gotten flat out silly. Are there sharks in Tampa Bay - yes. Do you see them often - no. Why? Vis sucks in the Bay. Typically, in the summer vis always sucks, in the winter it will clear up. So when it's clearer, the sharks are mostly gone from our area.

If you spear around sharks a lot, you know that a typical encounter is them approaching to within about 10-15' away and then turning off. If they get worked up, they'll make a lot of passes at that distance, but most of them will turn away before they're even close enough to get poked by an outstretched gun. If the place you are diving is typically 10' or less vis, you're not going to see most of the sharks. Just the ones that are a little more "friendly". They're not relying on their vision the same way you are. If the visibility is 5' or 50', they're operating pretty much the same way.

I've been here since '04 and have dove the Bay since then. Not just the bridges, but the rock piles, markers, artificial reefs and wrecks. I typically see 2 or 3 a year and usually when the water is warmer. I've never had an "issue" with a shark in the Bay, but I also don't keep fish on me until the water gets down into about the 60s.

Some of my more memorable encounters:

This May I was on an artificial reef in the Bay with bad vis, about 3'. We already had a few fish in the boat, and as I went to drop, I poked a shark that was below me. I didn't see it because vis was nowhere close to end of gun range. It scared that absolute crap out of the shark. I knew I hit a shark because there were silver fins flashing everywhere as it tried taking off. I don't know if he was checking me out or just happened to be below me as I was dropping. I called everyone out and we moved spots after that.

One winter on an artificial reef, we had about 10' vis. We jumped in the water, and on the first drop I came up on an area of cloudy water. As I came up to it, a bull popped out of it. Reminded me of a plane coming out of a cloud that way it happened. We had just gotten in, so he was chasing his own meal.

Another winter on a wreck with about 3' vis, I was coming up from a dive and got spun around. My dad was in the boat fishing, and I asked if he'd seen any dolphin around, he said no, so we got out of the water. In fairness, that could have been someone in a mini-sub, a turbocharged manatee, or one of Zacker's SPO sheepshead running for cover.

One of the reasons I don't typically dive in the Bay in summer - On a marker, I was castnetting bait for an offshore trip, as I was pulling up the net, a school of cobia followed it up. I went back home, grabbed my dive gear and went back. I jumped in, swam over to a post, dropped down to the bottom, and waited for one of them to swim by. The first thing to swim by was a 10' hammerhead.

My favorite Bay shark story was a friend of mine diving off his friend's sportfisher. While they were diving, the owner sat up in the tuna tower watching them. After they got out of the water, the guy in the tower asked if it bothered him to be diving around so many sharks. They never saw a single one in the water.

If you want to find out about sharks in Tampa Bay, look up any of the hundreds of people that fish for them. With the typical vis, you just aren't going to see them unless you're baiting them in and waiting for them.
This is what I wanted, a intellectual conversation sharing stories. Not conspiracy theories and false claims.

I fully understand and believe there are sharks, like I stated earlier there are sharks everywhere and Tampa bay is a breeding zone. However the problem I am trying to solve is the myth that Tampa bay is too dangerous to dive because of sharks, yet compared to many other places Tampa bay can be called a safe haven. Ive seen 3 sharks in a month on bathtub beach (2-3 dives), yet you see 3 sharks in a whole year (I dont know how many dives you do but i'm assuming way more then me). This can simply be because of luck on me, however thats why I started the threads.

I am not trying to say there are no sharks, thats stupid as hell. However I know countless people who simply dont go diving in Tampa due to the fear of sharks. And I simply want to verify if that danger is serious enough to warrant not diving at all or only during winter times like you. With your stories it only makes me feel that Tampa bay is safer.
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Old 10-23-2017, 04:54 PM   #11
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

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Originally Posted by smilinmatt View Post
If you want to find out about sharks in Tampa Bay, look up any of the hundreds of people that fish for them. With the typical vis, you just aren't going to see them unless you're baiting them in and waiting for them.
Also since Marcus doesn't want to answer none on my questions do you know what conditions give the best visibility? Tidal coefficient/weather/wind/temperature/month/etc. Ive been told by people that rain is bad, yet many of my best dives have been after a rain. I know that winter is the best due to low algae growth. Otherwise I had the best luck on low tide and low tidal coefficient due to the low currency. And since I live a hour and a half away I cant set up a reliable experiment so most of my dives have been a lottery the past few years.
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Old 10-23-2017, 05:07 PM   #12
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

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yet many of my best dives have been after a rain
Yet, more proof.

You didn't answer my direct questions. Something that you've projected onto others here many times.
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Old 10-23-2017, 05:08 PM   #13
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

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.....I simply want to verify if that danger is serious enough to warrant not diving at all or only during winter times like you. With your stories it only makes me feel that Tampa bay is safer.
Yes, you'll very likely be fine. Only a very small and nearly insignificant number of divers have been found eviscerated or decapitated or with various other fatal amputations in Tampa Bay, and it's entirely possible that sharks were not to blame for the initial injuries. I shouldn't worry if I were you. If you can't see them, then how many could there really be?

http://www.sptimes.com/News/083100/T...hought_t.shtml
Quote:
"Authorities were not absolutely certain Wednesday that a shark killed Kubinski...."
Also, Boca ciega isn't technically inside Tampa Bay........

But let's hear some more first-hand stories, they rock!
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Old 10-23-2017, 05:09 PM   #14
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

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Yet, more proof.

You didn't answer my direct questions. Something that you've projected onto others here many times.
What question? Ill be glad to answer any.
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Old 10-23-2017, 05:24 PM   #15
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Re: Shark attack report by DIVERS in Tampa bay

So now you're doing the exact same thing you complain about others doing to you. Post #10 above. I understand what you're doing, just like you did in the PnR section...trying to be as obtuse and difficult as possible.

Also, exactly WHERE do you put in at to scuba dive/spearfish from the S side at low tide after you calculated the exact lull in the tide after driving from Orlando?? Only someone that's lived in the area would know when that lull would happen, given wind direction. They'd also not even attempt something so dumb/wasteful/fruitless unless they've known what the recent rainfall's have been, what the red tide has done, and what the winds have been like for the past couple of weeks. I've successfully have had vis greater than 10' in the summer. Of course, you have to know what you're doing. You, don't have a clue and are trying to BS everyone here. Give it up. Your card has been pulled.
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― Frederic Bastiat, The Law

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