Try as you may, if you surf in Northern California you cannot help but think about sharks.  My brother told me it is your mind’s natural reaction to your decision to dress up as a sea lion (in a wet suit) and enter the shark’s food chain.

That being said, I don’t often think about sharks.  I remind myself that the greater danger that I face when I go surfing occurs on the highway while driving to and from any surf spot.  Most often when you see a fin break the surface of the water, it is that of a dolphin or a porpoise, making its characteristic roll as it grabs a breath of air before immediately going back under the water.  They are friendly and welcome company while surfing, but out of the corner of one’s eye their appearance can play tricks on a person.

Occasionally an actual shark will make its presence known.

It was a sunny day at Moonstone Beach. Fun size waves had attracted me, my friend Curt, and another dozen surfers into the water. We were spread out, waiting for the next set of waves to roll through. The sun was shining brightly. Glancing towards Curt, I noticed a fin breaking the surface of the water about six feet away from him. At first, I thought it was a porpoise, but it didn’t move like a porpoise.  Instead of rolling and plunging under the water, this one lazily cut through the water.  A secondary fin (the tail) was a few feet behind the dorsal.  It is difficult to assess the size of a shark in a moment like that. The visible dorsal could just be the tip, and the dark waters prevent a person from seeing the actual fish.

I was momentarily struck mute.  I stared for a few seconds, denying the reality of what my eyes were seeing. Then I noticed several other surfers staring at the fin.  It was as if no one wanted to admit that this was actually happening, until finally someone blurted it out, “Shark!”  Then panic ensued.

In surfing, there is an etiquette that if someone catches a wave first, nearest to its breaking point, it is “their” wave.  Waves are not to be shared. This rule always applies, unless a shark is in the water.  When a shark is spotted, everyone paddles for the next wave and tries to surf it in. When multiple people catch the same wave intentionally, it is called a “party wave”. All of us were ready for a party wave, right now, please!

A splashing panic had broken out as the surfers paddled madly towards the beach. I did not feel afraid, although I was paddling for shore. The reason being is that several other surfers were much closer to the shark than I was.  They say you only have to be faster than the next guy when being chased by a shark. My survival instincts found comfort in knowing that if the shark was going to attack someone, it would likely be one of them.

A few minutes later, everyone made it to shore and we stood together sharing our eyewitness accounts of the visit with the shark. Most of the surfers had seen it and guesstimated that it was a salmon shark around seven feet long.  A majority of the surfers went to their cars and drove home.  Curt and I headed a quarter mile down the beach to surf a little bit longer. It was difficult to relax when we re-entered the water that day.

Several months later there were some sightings of a large great white hanging out by the entrance to our bay.  A dive spear fisherman had been confronted by the beast, discharged his gun into the shark’s mouth and the shark had bit his spear gun in half.  The diver swam to the jetty as fast as possible, leaving his gear behind. He estimated this shark to be 15 feet long and said that “its mouth was as big as my torso, from my waistline to the middle of my neck.” It sounds like it was capable of taking a big bite. Here is the story: https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2015/jan/14/north-jetty-shark-encounter-ends-loss-spear-gun-sw/

Four days later a group of surfers at the north jetty said a great white had come into the lineup, stuck its head out of the water in front of a longboarder, and then swam off. This surf spot has had more than its share of shark attacks over the years.

Two days after that incident, I decided to go surfing at that spot.  I know what you are thinking (“He is really stupid”), but you’re still reading my book.

One convenience of surfing the jetty is the fact that there is a strong “rip”/current where water flows out (away from the beach) along the rocks.  It doesn’t take much effort to get out to where the waves are breaking.  You just swim into the current, let it carry you out, and then paddle away from the rocks over to where the waves are breaking.

There were only three of us in the water that evening.  It was a pretty good session of surfing.  The sun was nearing the horizon, and I had just caught a wave.  Now I was riding the current back out along the jetty.

As I paddled out towards the setting sun, the other two surfers were riding a wave back in.  As they passed me by, I noticed a panicked look on their faces.  One of them then shouted to me, “A big shark just breached out there!” There was no time for discussion or clarification.

Now I was left alone.  I was the closest bait to the shark.  Unfortunately, I was still in the current and was being carried out into the deeper water (and in this case, closer to the shark).  Feeling panicked, I did a stupid thing. I tried to paddle in against the current.  The rip continued to drag me further out, in spite of my efforts. My fears grew and the theme music from “Jaws” began to play in my mind.

I realized there were going to be no waves breaking in the rip and I had to swim away from the jetty.  I turned my board north, and paddled as hard as I could, splashing as little as possible, away from the jetty.  The two other surfers were now watching from the beach, 80 yards away.

A small set of waves began to come through and I paddled hard for the next two waves, only to have them pass under me.  The “Jaws” music playing in my brain grew louder and I began to pray hard. I glanced nervously over my shoulder looking for a jet-black fin knifing through the water.

The next wave looked like it was going to break.  I paddled for it, felt its push, and before I knew it, I was headed towards the beach.  I turned to my left, steering my board away from the rip current that would have carried me back out. I didn’t try to stand up on the wave.  I didn’t want to risk falling.  In my mind, the shark was hot on my heels.  I rode my board on my belly and put a good distance between myself and the shark that was lurking somewhere behind me. With a little more intense paddling, I washed up on the beach, breathless.

There I was greeted by the two other guys who went on to describe to me in detail the shark they had seen.  When it had breached, it had rolled in the air exposing a broad, white body.  There was no doubt in our minds that it had been the Great White.

Life is full of deadly predators of the soul.  They are not to be trifled with. They are not as obvious or as intimidating as a great white shark. They use attractive bait to pull people away from righteous living with false promises of pleasure, comfort, provision, and success.  It is easy to get distracted and to fail to pay attention to approaching dangers.

 

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV) 8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

2 Timothy 2:22 (NIV) “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

 

Playing with sharks is a bad idea. Surfers know that they are in the water. If they are spotted, surfers will get away from them as fast as possible.  If attacked, they will fight back with everything they have. When dealing with temptation, a passive response could cost you your life, your family, or your reputation. Do everything you can do to get away and to escape.

 

  • Are there any situations that you need to flee or fight right now? Identify the situation and commit yourself to a plan to get away or get out it.
  • Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. Why can you be confident in your ability to escape the predators of your soul?
  • Prayerfully ask God for His help in rescuing you from situations that tempt you.