Kiteboarding Hawaii: How to Deal With Shark (and Grizzly) Encounters

By Mark Cosslett; photograph courtesy Nate Volk

I’ve spent a fair bit of time exploring the great outdoors within close proximity of wildlife, and probably far more time in the proximity of sharks then I realize or care to consider. If you will “bear with me” here, I’d like to talk about the precautions I’ve taken in the Canadian Rockies against grizzly bears before I get into what I think can be done about sharks in the Hawaiian ocean channels.

When in Canada, I carry my “bear kit” on longer back country hikes and mountain bike rides, just as much to save a bear as my own ass. While nothing I carry is capable of killing a grizzly bear, it might just save ones life one day (they “destroy” bears that have dangerous encounters with humans). It contains, in order of use:

Bear Bangers - These can be used at a nice, safe distance and when fired off sound like a kick-ass gun shot, which should send just about anything running for the hills.

Bear Spray - Once close enough to use, the bear is already checking you out and your chances aren't as good. It also, doesn't work so well if the bear is upwind of you.

Last Resort - A USMC KA-BAR combat knife. I've had to play dead before, face down and curled up with this unsheathed and clutched in my hands while a grizzly still approached and “investigated” and it's amazing just how small it looks under those circumstances. While I have no illusions of fighting off a grizzly with any kind of knife, a good jab in a sensitive area might just send one running, hopefully allowing us both to survive.

So what does all this have to do about sharks? Let me explain. I've been in the water self-rescuing on Maui for an hour or two many times, but there are far more sharks and far fewer things that might interest them in the open sea.  The open ocean channels are the territory of the notorious oceanic, white-tip shark, an opportunistic predator that has killed more humans than all other species of shark combined.

While there is no equivalent to “Bear Bangers” or “Bear Spray” for sharks, I will carry my “Last Resort” deterrent in the form of an ice pick. Sharks, and oceanic white tips in particular, usually do investigative nudges before attacking and a well aimed jab to a shark’s nose or eye might buy me an hour or two until more come, attracted by the blood in the water. If I injure the first shark sufficiently it will not only leave me alone but the other sharks will likely attack it rather than me since their opportunistic nature attracts them to the weakest and therefore easiest target. Sharks aren’t much fun to contemplate but its nearly impossible not to when you’re stranded and exposed in the middle of an open ocean channel... part of the deal.  If my kite is still intact, I would crawl into it (it also provides flotation) and hope for the best - 10 to 14 square meters of colorful fabric is a very large and unusual object for a shark to think it will make a meal of an probably the safest place to await rescue.

Comments

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[Hai]

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[non slip mats]

My child is a girl but you never know…she has been fighting them for three years now she is now sixteen..

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It is the most amazing article ever read on this earth. Guess what!!! Today for the first time I read your article and in one shot I liked your article and the way you write.

[hipica sevilla]

The open ocean channels are the territory of the notorious oceanic, white-tip shark, an opportunistic predator that has killed more humans than all other species of shark combined.

[debt consolidation]

These can be used at a nice, safe distance and when fired off sound like a kick-ass gun shot, which should send just about anything running for the hills.

[Land For Sale]

There’s no landfall on other points of sail for the Hawaiian inter-island kite boarder, except perhaps Tahiti, Australia, or Japan.

[Mia]

It's so much fun to explore the great outdoors and experience a dose of local wildlife encounter.
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Once close enough to use, the bear is already checking you out and your chances aren't as good. It also, doesn't work so well if the bear is upwind of you.

[Land For Sale Kent]

These can be used at a nice, safe distance and when fired off sound like a kick-ass gun shot, which should send just about anything running for the hills.

[Top Directory]

When you’re working a busy nursing shift it is very easy to let the day-to-day issues overtake your life, but we all know that we should be keeping an eye on the big

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Agreed. Online commenting has the potential to be a powerful way to get quick feedback from those who agree and disagree from a variety of sources. Positive or not, it should be sincere and at the least thoughtful. So often it becomes a popularity contest.

[Dresses to wear to a wedding]

Nice article and I agree with almost everything, but I think you create a new problem, where people are forced to make their point in the first three lines or 140 characters which isn't necessarily a good thing.

[wedding520]

75人以上から選択しては控えめヴィータベラで結婚式ドレス
をカット。このウェブサイトは、あなたのスタイルに合わせてウエディングドレス
を見つけることができることを保証する、あなたのスタイル（袖の長さ、ラップ、チュール）と価格でソートして検索することができます。彼らはまた、寺院のdresssより現代的であるが、かなり保守的な受信カラードレス 格安
の大規模な選択をしている。人の上ベール
をしようとする彼らのショールームを訪問。

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[wedding520]

同社は結婚式ドレス
スタイルの完全な範囲を作ることがある一方で、スタイリングは、他のファッションハウスよりも控えめです。 ？それはdoesnのtは遠く、そこから、彼らは平凡だという意味。ガウンはそれらに古典的な外観も現代を与えるウエディングドレス
デザインのタッチで強化された優雅さが特徴です。

[Silver Nose Spray]

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Thanks.

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I'm too scared of underwater creatures that's why I don't learn to kite boarding.

[שתלים]

I have illusions about Grizzly knife fight, a good shot in a sensitive area may send a single stroke, it is hoped, will give us both alive.

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[wedding]

横幅のウエディングドレスないスレンダーなドレスだと顔の大きさは目立ちますが、ボリュームのあるスカートを選ぶドレスで気にならなくなります。Vitabellaウエディングドレスは専門のタキシード消費サービスのウェブサイト、中級と高級のウェディングベールの礼服主に製品を経営し、タキシード、など伴娘装花童装なとがあります。1時には我々は深い水のパーティードレス緊急の場合には顧客とのスイマー/ダイバーを持っているタキシード。）HDビデオカメラ防水ポータブルビデオソニーの結婚式ドレスビデオライトあなたは極端行くと、危険にあなた自身とあなたの財産を投入するキャンペーンドレスと、ソルは言った。