I hate crowds when I surf but if there is a shark in the water I’m ok with crowds . Why were you surprised there is a shark in the ocean ?

My surfing career ended before it started

Man: “That’s the closest I’ve ever been to a shark in the water” Shark: “There’s that guy again, who’s been coming here every week for twenty years”

I’ll never forget the time in high school when me and one of my best friends decided to compete with each other to see who could swim out to one of the buoy’s first. The buoy was out farther than we originally thought so we decided to hold onto it and rest for a little, and as we were we suddenly saw and then felt a huge dark object beneath us. We panicked at first but then were relieved to realize it was just a sea lion! He decided to rest at our buoy and was actually very cute up close, but I won’t be swimming out that far ever again lol.

I used to surf alone, way out the back of a beach in Port Stephens, Australia. I surfed this place for about 12 years. Then a guy doing research on Great Whites started pulling in and tagging Great White juveniles. In one month he tagged 48 of the buggers, and they were over 2 metres long. I was shocked. Then I started thinking where is Mum and Dad. Never surfed that spot again.

"That's the closest I've ever been to a shark in the water." That's just the closest you've ever noticed a shark in the water near you....

That wasn’t fast fowarding editing, that was literally how fast he was paddling out of there

You stayed really calm. Really smart intuition that you were able to see that was a great white shark. Glad you are safe and able to surf another day.

That's the closest I've ever been to surfing 🏄‍♀️

At 1:28 that's the fastest swimming I've ever seen. Adrenaline is amazing

Surfer guy: Oh crap a shark, lemme swim fast so he won't get me Shark: dude if I really wanted to get you....

The idea that surfing is so amazing that it’s worth the risk of being consumed by a Great White shark is inconceivable.

Happened to me in South Africa.. Just a wee lad of 14 and learning to body board. Anyway, there was a great set out and everyone was heading to the beach. Got out and paddled to the waves and then suddenly saw a dark cloud go through a wave. Of course you think it’s your mind playing tricks on you… but it happened again. The shore line wasn’t close by so start booking it back and shouting at everyone coming in “there’s a shark there’s a shark”. Got the the shoreline and one of my buddies who had seen what I’d seen said. “Did you see it did you see it”!? One of the local walked by and said “you guys are idiots, that’s not a shark it’s a dolphin”

Been to that beach and had something heavy bump into me. That was the last time I ever went into the ocean.

I thought Great White Sharks all played the cello to alert you to their presence.

I've been a scuba diver for over 20 years, I was a helicopter pilot for the Navy for several years, and I took up flying drones as a hobby a few years ago. If people had a clue, most would not get back in the ocean. Ignorance is bliss.

My heart was racing as he was paddling for dear life, ain't gonna lie! 🤣

I was out at Jax Beach FL as a teenager with my brother in the outside break on a pretty big day. While we we sitting on our boards with about 5 other surfers around us, I saw a bouy on a braided line being dragged by something underwater. We all just sat there watching that bouy going through the water coming in our direction. I saw the number on it as it made a first pass. Then it turned. Just at that moment a HUGE dorsal fin surfaced just like the one in all of the Jaws movies, then a pectoral fin about 10 feet behind it. After freezing in absolute horror, I looked left and right to my brother and the rest of the surfers. They had already turned to paddle and leave me. I remember everyone saying "dude, great white, great white." As I turned to depart, the fins went under as it was heading in my direction. The shore was about 300 yards away and I paddled so hard. We were all just thinking to outrun the next guy, but I was last and that bouy was coming for me, so I had a choice. Catch the wave and risk wiping out, or stop and hope it will go right past me, and wish for the best. Everyone was so far ahead and then they caught the first wave in the set leaving alone in the water. At that point, I knew I only had one true choice, to catch the next approaching wave and hopefully outrun it because the bouy was causing drag. So I paddled hard to catch it slashing like crazy in the water. I caught it, but the wave was roo huge to belly ride so I had to stand up. Then I dropped in the face of this huge wave and right at the bottom turn... BAM, I totally ate it. Those were the longest 30 seconds of my life and I prayed like I have never prayer before as I waited for the huge intense bite. After getting knocked around for a bit, I surfaced and gasped for air while trying find my board floating 8 feet away. I finally got to my board and got on. I was totally disoriented and I was looking around for the direction of land, while waiting to be eaten. THANK GOD I caught the white water of another wave and I took it most of the way in. By then, my brother, the 5 guys who were out there and the rest who were in the inside break were all standing on the shore with the lifeguard. Everyone was out of the water and EVERYONE thought it got me. It was like a Jaws movie. Everyone was hugging me and saying, "wow you made it!" So I told my uncle, who was a scientist, that we had seen a great white and he said, "there are no great white's in FL." I told him what we saw and the number on the bouy. My other uncle who was a marine biologist said he read about a group of marine biologists who were tagging Great Whites with numbered bouy's up north before the winter came. We later confirmed it was a GW that had been tagged. Osearch now uses digital tracking and data shows GW's regularly go offshore near Jax beach. Scariest day of my life.

"It was at that exact moment, Mark the shark realised, he will never make any friends, ever"

This shows how important it is to have a buddy every time you go for a swim at the beach.

He's out there alone, looking like a baby seal, thrashing about in the water.

Solitary surfing anywhere along the west coast is crazy

Trust me buddy, you’ve been closer. That’s just the closest you’ve seen. They are all around us out there... thankfully sharks tend to leave humans alone for the most part.

I love these PSAs that confirm my instinct to stay as far away from the ocean as possible to be intrinsically accurate.

Shark: "if only this dude knew I was vegan"

That looks like a pretty decent sized NOPE swimming behind you.

My anxiety just got anxiety

Shark: Are you aware your car warranty is about to expire?

Born and raised in Florida you're brought up knowing 2 things. 1) Respect the ocean, she'll always win. 2) Don't ever forget you're never alone in the ocean. ❤ She is beautiful ain't she

Enter the water, enter the food chain.

This is way I cannot enjoy the ocean, I'm constantly paranoid that there is a shark somewhere nearby, it's horrible to feel that way. 😂

Judging from all the drone footage I've seen recently, I'll bet those Great Whites have seen you a lot more than you've seen them.

Looked like such a great time you were having, seemingly enjoying the entire Ocean to yourself. 🤣That look of concern though!

The camera wasn’t sped up, he really swam that fast after seeing the shark

"that's the closest i've ever been to a shark..." yah, you'd probably be surprised to find out that it probably isn't

A friend of mine said it's better to remain perfectly still rather than a frantic run for the beach. That's what great white food does....

If you had to estimate a length and weight what would you think? I was thinking no more than 9' and around 500lbs, maybe 3 years old. Did he ever breach the surface or stay under the whole time? I had a brush with a juvenile white shark in 97, completely changed the way I feel about the water since.

The description was a lot more exciting than the video.

Bet that swim to shore would’ve felt like a lifetime 🙈

Being surprised by a shark in the ocean is like being surprised by shit in a diaper

He looked 👀..🦈 & said let me get the hell up out of here 🏊‍♂️..😂😅

Dude went full-on Scooby Doo "Zoinks!" mode with his paddling, after turning around.

Just another day doing cosplay as a seal for the great whites.

I am fairly new to standup paddleboarding (started in Dec 2020) and you simply can't enjoy the experience of being on the water if you are afraid of what "might" or "could" happen. Don't get me wrong, there are moments when I get into my own head and start looking around my board and wondering, but I force myself to shake it off and stop thinking like that and within moments I am back in a blissful state of mind enjoying the sun on my skin, the fresh salt air in my lungs and the feeling of the cold water rushing over my feet on the board. Nothing quite like it. I did surf as a kid with my older brother at Bolsa Chica and we did see a shark silhouetted in a cresting wave not 30 or so feet offshore as we sat resting on the sand having just come out of the water...Not sure what type of shark it was. I was 13 years old....my big brother who has surfed all over the world didn't seem bothered and his not freaking out about it affected me in the best way. He has his share of shark stories with many happening in Mexico. One in particular event which he told me about and which I still remember clearly was when he and a buddy were surfing at Estero Beach when his friend yelled out, "Look behind you!"...My brother turned to see a dorsal fin which he thought to be about one and a half feet high cutting through the water not 10 feet behind him and following him.....he calmly paddled towards shore and the shark lost interest and swam away. My brother's respectful and calm attitude about sharks or any other ocean predators or dangerous animals was something that rubbed off on me and I appreciate it to this day. He told me once that people who use the term "shark infested waters" might as well also say "people infested cities". They are always present whether we see them or not and I am glad they are. They are magnificent beautiful creatures....all kinds of sharks..

You’ve been closer….you just didn’t see it. They’re always out there with us

That's the closest I've ever been to a shark in the water... THAT YOU KNOW OF....

People disliking were expecting him to be eaten or what

I grew up surfing San Onofre. We used to see juvenile gw’s out in the lineup pretty often. They never bothered anyone.

My father was stationed at Camp Pendleton for about 6 yrs, we camped at San Onofre many times. Its an awesome place to dig in the tide pools at low tide. I learned to surf, and body surf there, of course that was 40+ years ago. I read in 2013 I believe, that marine biologist found out that San Onofre is a pupping area for great whites. They stay in the area till they reach maturity, which can be 10-13feet. Juveniles only feed on fish and other sea life, their teeth are not mature enough for larger sea mammals, such as seals.

If you ever SEE a great white, it's terrifying, but you're probably gonna be fine. If a great white wants to hurt you, you will not see it. Granted, I would've paddled like hell too hahaha.

I remember when I was 13 years old on a holiday to the Seychelles seeing a shark in the water about 90 feet away we where only waist deep but hell you should have seen us move!

That's the closest you've been to a shark, that you're aware of.

I've been closer...and I didn't have a surfboard. I was snorkeling in Molokini Crater, totally clueless, and had swam off a little by myself, when a tiger shark started following me. He was super casual about it, but when I went left, he went left, when I went straight he went straight. The guy who ran the snorkeling boat spotted him and got on the loud speaker and is like, "Yeah, that's about an 10 footer but he probably won't bother you, you aren't on his menu. Just head towards the boat." I know that feeling when you start moving fast, lol, at any minute expecting a hard tug from under the water. But I just moved quickly and really, really steadily even though my heart was pounding. I was just a mom from Chicago! I didn't know anything about sharks until I saw that one. Now I live on the West coast and I just figure they're always out there, what can you do.

It turns out a longboard makes a fantastic selfie stick

I love sharks! They are so cute!

He said that's the closest he's ever been to a shark in the water...so he thinks lol

When you miss the wave and your life depended on it.

02:04 No, I can promise you, that was NOT the closest you've ever been to a shark in the water. It was the closest you've ever been to a shark you have seen in the water. If you surf often then sharks have been very near you often. Take a look at Malibu Artists drone footage of sharks/surfers/people in general. It is shocking.

Yeah.. I grew up in the ocean in so. cal boogie boarding as a kid to body surfing. Snorkeling. Scuba diving in Catalina and I’ve always kept my eyes open for sharks and as far as I know I’ve never seen one but that’s been my utmost fear anytime I’ve been in their territory.. very glad you’re ok. Stay safe & god bless!! 👍👍🤞🤞

“This is the 5th time I’ve seen a Great White out here. God knows how many I haven’t seen. I think I’ll keep surfing here.”

Great footage David. You reacted exactly how you should have, remaining calm and getting to shore. We surf with sharks all the time, we just don't always see each other. Nice board!

I grew up on the south shore of Long Island. Frequently the lifeguards would whistle us out due to sharks. When clear we’d all go in again. Now that I’m older I am very happy just being in the pool. 😎

I had a juvenile great white come up to my kayak and it hit me before I knew it was there; still scares me to think about it. Surfing in the Bay area they are very common. I've seen sharks lurking under the surfers. When the wave lifts you can see them there clear as day.

Im sitting here watching this on dry land, I was scared for you. Glad your ok. Thanks for sharing video.

I don't go in their ocean, they stay off my lawn.

I've been watching The Malibu Artist and he's shown plenty of footage with his drone how common sharks are swimming near people. I lived in Hawaii for 3yrs and I was always in the ocean. I've probably had quite a few sharks near me and I had no idea.

I'm watching this on my Bed lifting my Legs off of the Sheets. Lol

10ft shark was about 5ft away from me at this exact beach surfing alone. had no idea too until a lifeguards escorted me out of the water and told me what was going on, and how big the shark was. I knew there was something in the water by me, but I thought it was a seal lol

Let's dress up like a seal and swim with the sharks...what could go wrong?

Surfing with sharks would be like skiing with polar bears lol

This is why I snowboard . Never ran into a great white shark on the mountain 😂😂

I wouldn’t of needed my arms to propel me back to the shore....my arse would have turned me into a speedboat!

Same thing happened to me in cape cod. Except I was on a sea kayak. I could tell you I paddled like an Olympic gold medalist to get outta there

We went to Santa Cruz beach for the day and they were having life guard training that day for a bunch of young people. About 30 people had to swim way out about 200 yards and go around a couple markers and swim back, I was thinking "hell no!"

San Onofre is a breeding ground for Great White's here in Southern California. Redondo Beach about 40 miles north is a Hammerhead breeding area due to the Redondo canyon drop off. Sharks are needed for the global management of our oceans. Part of the all. Fisherman forever Los Angeles

states it’s the closest he’s ever been to a shark. To be fair let’s just say it’s the closest you have ever SEEN a shark. If you are a surfer , they are watching you when you don’t even know it.

Gosh at 1 point he swims really fast , very talented

Love the fast motion. Kind of emphasizes the "holy shit" mood!

It's not wise to go alone. Always good to have someone around maybe on a jet ski that can help if needed.

I like how he says @ 58....."Oh F#@k"

It's amazing how brave you surfers are. Attacks usually occur, When Sharks misinterpret surfers for turtles?!!

Wow so empty ! I’ve seen a few juvies in Encinitas and in Lower Trestles - I am sure they’re always around us lol even if we don’t see them. I love surfing but wouldn’t really wanna go too far up the coast like to the Northern beaches haha - those babies get BIG !! Glad everything was cool ☺️

Strange video has this many dislikes. What do you guys expect, him with GW selfie smiling next to her jaws? OMG, great video btw!

This is why I prefer surfing with other people. Cause if there's a shark attack there is no need to outswim the shark, just outswim your friend :>

Scary, I've literally been to that beach. San Onofre is one of my favorite spots.

My fear of the ocean justified...thank you

In the water, how far does the sound carry of a person shitting themself?

I love how every shark is a great white now! Like theres no possible way it could be a different shark

I’m from Southern California, and I have never gone surfing. This is why.

Omg I bet that swim to shore was the scariest thing he’s ever experienced…I would have shit myself scarred as hell on that swim back😂😂😳

There was a shark??? I couldn't stop looking at that killer board. Deadly bro 👊

What he should say is, “That’s the closest I’ve ever been to a shark in the water that I know of.” If he surfs regularly, he has probably been in close proximity to sharks a ton and never knew it. By the way, I swam with a shark while snorkeling in Maui. I was the only in the water at 7:00am, and he was within 10 yards, and he was a big, white tipped reef shark. He went his way, and I went mine. I felt like a badass telling the story later.

“I wasn’t too concerned”, but I swiftly got out of the water lol.

Correction. That's the closest you've been to a shark, that you've noticed.

Probably not the closest you've *ever* been to a shark, just the closest you've ever *seen* one. 😁

1:13 how he swims 1:28 how I would swim

Major props for getting out in waist high water. If it were me...that board would have been a dunebuggy before I hopped off.

Shark: "What's his problem ? I'm just catching a wave like I have for the last 30 years ?

And the faster he paddled, the more he looked like a sea lion to Mr. Shark. It looked like the shark wanted to catch the same wave.

The Benny Hill show theme song would be perfect for when the guy retreated to shore. Especially the fast forward part.