Rule #34 Shark Week and other Forbiden Media

Being a surfer and meeting several people as sales rep, there are a few conversations that generally will come up.

Non Surfing Customer....'Do you wear a wetsuit, is it cold?'

Me....'Yes we wear wetsuits almost year round.' (I don't tell them that I am obsessed with wetsuits and spent several hours, days and weeks thinking, buying and blogging about them.)

Non Surfing Customer....'Do you see any sharks?'

Me.....'No I don't'

Here is where it is tricky. Most people are obsessed with sharks and shark week, jaws, etc. I have seen sharks, twice. I don't admit it often or even to myself because of the paranoia involved.

The first time I saw a shark I was in Mexico in the late 70's at a beach break with a friend out. and there it was. We were the only guys out and we sprinted to shore. I saw the fin and spent years trying to convince myself it was a dolphin.

The second time I had an encounter was at Scott's Creek up north of Santa Cruz. Scott's Creek was the big wave spot before Mavericks was known to anyone but Jeff Clark. I was surfing a head high day and a great white probably about 10 foot came through the line up. It was crowded and the guys started yelling "Shark!, Shark!" I sprinted in. Again I saw the fin and tried to convince myself it was a dolphin but it was a shark and a great white at that.

When Jaws came out everyone of my friends went to see it. However, I didn't.

This is all I am committed to see on Jaws. After the movie several of my Friends did not surf for a few weeks. They were so freaked out. I being paranoid about most things knew this going in and was happy to stay at home watching TV that night and surf for the next several weeks.

So yesterday I am in Long Beach talking to a chemist who is completely nuts about sharks. He was telling me how they are going further into to the science of their killing instincts.

Me, I propose the rule....Stay away from Shark Week you will thank me when you are surfing alone some day and you are not focused anything but the waves.