# Another reason you shouldn't use a Hobie



## DGax65 (Jun 7, 2006)

To a great white they look like a giant plastic lure. 
Those turbo fins give it a great action that fish can't resist. 








A guy who was fishing from a Hobie on the Central California Coast got hit by a GWS this morning. He hasn't posted the full account yet, but others who were on the water with him put up some info and photos
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=9174.0 I can't remember if you need to register to view posts. If so; here are the juicy bits from a friend who was on the water with him:
_
"I was there, Dan was knocked out of his kayak by a great white in full attack mode. When he climbed back in the shark was still gnawing on his kayak. He is okay, his kayak limped in, he was taking water on but it held together. I did not see the attack, only him coming in real fast. I helped him try to settle his nerves on the water and we paddled/peddled in together. Some of the Kayakers actually saw the splash after the shark attacked."_

Holy crap Batman! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: Wouldn't want to be in that predicament


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

The Shark must like red lures, but sshhhiiissssshhhh what a big lure :shock: :shock: :shock:


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Man they're some serious bite marks on the yak, goes to show how sharp and powerful those teeth are.

That bloke was a very lucky man to be able to get back on the yak with out getting hit.


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## JD (Jul 2, 2006)

Maybe a Shark-sheild should be next on the list!


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## troutfish (Jun 21, 2007)

reinforces the old adage - "big lures for big fish" :lol:


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

Ok thats Red kayaks on the list of yaks not to get :shock: 
I don't think i'd be smiling like him after that.

Cheers dave


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2007)

Interesting... I have wondered before about whether or not fins would attract a GWS. I've definitely thought that if a knew a GWS was present I'd stop pedalling and paddle instead (unless I thought getting out fast was the wiser strategy). I did ponder the colour thing to, and as I wrote in the blog linked below, figured blue would be the one colour least likely to stand out to sharks and fish. The downside, of course, is that being blue, the yak can be hard to spot in the water from a distance.

Thanks for sharing that one Doug.

http://yakabout.com.au/home/content/view/118/37/


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

Gatesy said:


> YUM YUM YELLOW MY ARSE - Perhaps it should be called YUM YUM RED :shock:
> 
> I wonder if this bloke was doing anything stupid?


yeah...... like throwing up......... :lol:

cheers


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

> The downside, of course, is that being blue, the yak can be hard to spot in the water from a distance.


Gday 5th if you go to the links from the american sites posts there is a GWS attack log site and some of the kayaks taken were blue :? glad i have a green one 

From the photos looks like it was a revo or adventurer but is good to know that a poly yaks stands up quite well against that sort of strength.

Cheers Dave


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2007)

SSSShhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttt!
Yep, shark shield is lookin good


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## reefcheck (Jul 20, 2006)

That fellow has gotta be happy to get out of it!

He may not have been doing anything silly either. A few years back a GWS bit a double ski just about in half here at Cottesloe, luckily between the two blokes on board. They were just going for a paddle, not fishing.

Of course a year of so later a bather got killed and another suffered minor injuries during morning swiming at the same beach. Seems this time of year on the west coast a few GWS are heading to Ningaloo/Exmouth Gulf, some even coming over fomr South Africa, maybe to meet the whales coming back down the coast with their new calves. The bloody things make me nervous trolling along Cottesloe early morning in October-November and this post from California hasn't helped!


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## DGax65 (Jun 7, 2006)

We spend a lot of time thinking and talking about what causes these attacks, but it really is kind of pointless. There are so few attacks in relationship to the number of people in and on the water that you really can't draw any valid conclusions. There are a few basic factors based on shark behavior; visibility, water temperature, attractants in the water.... Beyond that it really is kind of a guessing game; especially with great whites. Like all fish, they are not very predictable. Why is it that some days fish will only hit live bait, yet the next day they ignore the livie that you have out and hit a ridiculously colored bit of plastic or metal? And why does the great white pass up the tasty harbor seals in the area and hit a surf board, or the prop on an outboard motor? I think it's that element of random chance that makes them so intriguing and feared. The odds of a safe day of paddling are hugely in your favor, but it is always in the back of your mind. Just one of the many things that make kayak fishing so enjoyable. You are more in touch with the sea than with just about any other type of fishing. And sometimes the sea gets in touch with you in rather unpleasant ways.








When I bought my first kayak the salesman tried to talk me out of getting a yellow one. He seriously believed the old myth that yellow attracted sharks. I know that the odds of me getting run over by an inattentive boater are about a million times greater than of being attacked by a shark. If trolling a bloody pig carcass would guarantee that I wouldn't get hit by dumb-ass boaters, I'd take my chances with the sharks


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

If he was using the pedal drive that may have been a contributing factor because the movement of the pedal fins looks so natural from underwater. Compare that to a regular paddle blade and its clunky human movement. Maybe the shark was thinking like a fish!!! Maybe he was just unlucky.

The mullet netters have been out of Cape Byron Marine park for over a year and there has been a steady increase in shark sightings in that time. Similar stories ring true for most other marine parks in NSW.

With the amont of surfers, swimmers and offshore recreationalists up this way, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens more regularly. In January we had a 5 metre Great White patrolling the area between Ballina and Tweed for 3 about weeks.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2007)

> you really can't draw any valid conclusions


I agree with that totally Doug, which is why I'm not going to jump to any conclusions about Mirage drive fins being a shark attractant. I certainly wouldn't rule it out though because I have wondered about it myself. Sharks are very unpredictable as you say, so for now at least it's really hard to tell. Either way, as you've pointed out, I have more chnce meeting my maker on the way to go kayak fishing in my car. That doesn't stop me from driving, so sharks won't stop me kayaking. Living in fear is for sheople.


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

Thanks for the photo Doug I needed to be reminded that they could swallow me whole :shock: gee i gald i only have bull sharks and hammerheads around in my estraurys at least they will eat me piece by piece :shock: :lol: :lol:

I would rather take my chances with a GWS than a croc anyday.

Cheers dave


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

I'm actually surprised that the GWS didn't do more damage. With 1000lb bite presure, a big shark could crack a plastic hull easily. I agree that the guy was just probably in the wrong place at the wrong time, rather than it being the action of the fins. I've heard stories of sharks (Great Whites and Makos) attacking power boats and outboard motors and they hardly look 'natural". If the guy was fishing/burleying then that could have been the stimulus rather than the mirage drive action

Anyway, I wonder what Hobies new corporate statement will be??

"Hobie Kayaks - even Great Whites want to get their teeth into them"!

"Hobie - the tastiest yaks in the world!"

"Get a Hobie - it will be the last kayak you ever need"

"Hobie Yaks - buy one and get up close to nature"

The new "SHARKBITE" from Hobie - no animals were harmed in the development of this kayak


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## DougOut (Dec 31, 2006)

justcrusin32 said:


> Thanks for the photo Doug I needed to be reminded that they could swallow me whole


exactly :shock: ...almost shatttt myself here on my favouite chair  
nice photo Doug :wink:


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Wow!!!

Had to happen sooner or later.

A yak is much peferable to a surf board. All your limbs are inside when the bugger smashes into you from underneath only to taste plastic. I remember having this conversation with 5/11 a few months back and at the time we thought an attack from a GWS would most likely end the same as actualy happened here. Glad to hear everyone is ok and still have all their arms and legs. That would be a big twitching pooper valve moment.

Cheers

Scott


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

> I've heard stories of sharks (Great Whites and Makos) attacking power boats and outboard motors and they hardly look 'natural".


Davey i have been told that this is due to electrolysis in the engines, the is a small pulsing current coming from the outboard and the sharks sense it as a heart beat of a sick fish or easy meal ticket. The shark shield works similiar buy over zapping I think are called The ampules of Lorenze (spelling and name could be wrong).

Some Pub bulls*&t trivia for you 

Cheers dave


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## water_baby (Oct 26, 2005)

justcrusin32 said:


> > I've heard stories of sharks (Great Whites and Makos) attacking power boats and outboard motors and they hardly look 'natural".
> 
> 
> Davey i have been told that this is due to electrolysis in the engines, the is a small pulsing current coming from the outboard and the sharks sense it as a heart beat of a sick fish or easy meal ticket. The shark shield works similiar buy over zapping I think are called The ampules of Lorenze (spelling and name could be wrong).
> ...


Not so much in the way of crud there mate. Two dissimilar metals in a salt solution (ie outboard motors, steel bolts/alloy hulls) cause a weak electrical current, attracting sharks as you described.

I would suggest that the possibility, (not likelihood, or certainty, just a possibility) of this happening with hobie fins is there, no matter how small the odds. the only reason my rudder goes in the water is that its one piece of metal, and not a combination of two metals.

thais being said, i dont know how the hobie fins are constructed. perhaps someone can shed some light??


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