Off Shore Swimming

[Matt Johnson]

We were going to do a mid ocean swim between Bermuda and Azores, but we had a group of about 40 fish under our boat the entire trip (we were their nursery I think). The added bait around the boat made me way too nervous to jump in. Not sure if they would attract other fish/sharks, but I didn't want to findout.

We did clean Mahi on deck when becalmed and had no sharks show-up for the two hours we were sitting there.

Matt

[roverhi]

Have gone in the water a couple of times mid ocean when becalmed. It's been a bit unnerving knowing the bottom is many thousands of feet below and you are in the middle of nowhere. It was also not very rewarding. Air temp was about the same as sea temp so it didn't cool us off and we didn't dry off when we got out with humidity at 100%. Felt worse after the swim than before.

Never thought about sharks. The psychological unease is purely paranoia with no basis in reality. It's the same water as at the beach, just a bit further offshore.

[Cheechako]

It's amazing how many fish follow your boat. Sailing in places like the Sea of Cortez at night, where there is a lot of phosphorescence you can see tons of them in your wake.. along with your prop wash. Some big!
Once in the Bahamas a friend and I harvested 16 conch moving in a line right under the anchored boat. within an hour after we cleaned them aboard a Large (~10ft) Hammerhead spent a half hour swimming around and under the boat!

[Celestialsailor]

My scuba teacher back in the 80's told me as I was doing my first open water dive..."Welcome to the food chain, you are no longer at the top".


A young shark asks his Father..."Why do we swim past the humans so many times before we eat them"
The Father shark replies..."So they don't taste like poop when we do".

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Don't go to the beach either because there's sharks there, too.
Don't go in the freshwater because there alligators and brain eating amoebas.
Don't drive your car because there are crazies out there. (Mad Max!)
Don't go in the woods because there are bears there.
Don't stay in your house because it is filled with formaldehyde and radon gas.
Don't skydive for obvious reasons.
Don't ride your bike because you could fall off.
Don't stand by your windows because your pissed off neighbor will shoot you.
Don't burp and fart at the same time because it is a proven scientific fact that you will explode!

Did I leave anything out?

Yes, you missed this one. Pretty well sums it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZANKFxrcKU

[JPA Cate]

Swimming mid ocean is probably safer than swimming in deep water along the continental shelf. The ocean is vast, one is less likely to encounter a big predator. There's more food for them on the shelves.

When I was young, I liked to swim across lakes, and particularly one sag pond lake, which at the time was known to be over 600 ft. deep. For me, bottomless took on a new meaning when it was over 3,000 ft. deep....and the swimming part is the same, just as it is in 3 ft.

At the time, it did not feel "dangerous".

Ann

[conachair]

A wonderful sailing memory is swimming in 4km deep water becalmed between Caribbean /Bermuda single handed. Strange being 20' away from the boat! A shearwater which had been following the boat for days swam up and let me give it a little kiss on its head.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

We were going to do a mid ocean swim between Bermuda and Azores, but we had a group of about 40 fish under our boat the entire trip (we were their nursery I think). The added bait around the boat made me way too nervous to jump in. Not sure if they would attract other fish/sharks, but I didn't want to findout.

We did clean Mahi on deck when becalmed and had no sharks show-up for the two hours we were sitting there. Matt

That you noticed.

Sharks are not out to get us. You can dive with them all day long. Splashing on the surface changes the game a little.

[socaldmax]

I remember spending a lot of time snorkeling on the reef as a kid in Key West. We were far more concerned about barracuda and not wearing anything shiny. I remember swimming with sharks roughly my size and thinking nothing of it. I also saw a lot of horseshoe crabs, and those things really gave me the willies! They looked so prehistoric!

[Andy73]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Don't go to the beach either because there's sharks there, too.
Don't go in the freshwater because there alligators and brain eating amoebas.
Don't drive your car because there are crazies out there. (Mad Max!)
Don't go in the woods because there are bears there.
Don't stay in your house because it is filled with formaldehyde and radon gas.
Don't skydive for obvious reasons.
Don't ride your bike because you could fall off.
Don't stand by your windows because your pissed off neighbor will shoot you.
Don't burp and fart at the same time because it is a proven scientific fact that you will explode!

Did I leave anything out?

Don't go sailing ?

[Andy73]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

We were going to do a mid ocean swim between Bermuda and Azores, but we had a group of about 40 fish under our boat the entire trip (we were their nursery I think). The added bait around the boat made me way too nervous to jump in. Not sure if they would attract other fish/sharks, but I didn't want to findout.

We did clean Mahi on deck when becalmed and had no sharks show-up for the two hours we were sitting there.

Matt

Hey Matt - Love the blog. Glad to see you guys made the crossing in good health.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by socaldmax

I remember spending a lot of time snorkeling on the reef as a kid in Key West. We were far more concerned about barracuda and not wearing anything shiny. I remember swimming with sharks roughly my size and thinking nothing of it. I also saw a lot of horseshoe crabs, and those things really gave me the willies! They looked so prehistoric!

All the american sourced dive text books listed Barracuda a a possible hazard. I think nore because of the potential of those large teeth rather than actual incidents. There are plenty of places around the world you can swim with large schools of large animials swimming around you.

Not aware of and issues here in Aus so our comment was that barracuta only ate Americans.

[mbianka]

Maybe a mid ocean swim is not that bad of a risk:
Two women skirt attack in Mass. by great white shark

[minaret]

Great White Shark Petrifies Massachusetts Kayakers

[Cap Erict3]

A couple of decades ago I was hemmed in a hole in the rocks while scuba diving on the Port A jetties by a curious and very large grouper. It was after this that I resumed carrying my speargun when diving. Not to shoot fish but to poke with to send them on their way. Having it with me made me feel more at ease about getting back in that dark water. A sharp stick would have served just as well.

Plenty of things bite in this world. In and out of the water. Sharks, alligators, dogs, cats, claws, teeth and tentacles everywhere.

There is an FDR quote concerning fear. Look it up sometime.

Run with the big dogs or stay on the porch with the puppies is a quote I am found of.