Noah down south

Yikes

Severne riders do go above and beyond to test the kit strength..

On a serious note very happy for him he's ok. Looks scary. Hope he wasn't water starting ..

I never had a taste for severne sails either ,
looks like it had 3 good bites ,glad he's ok

From the horse's mouth, James Beach's FB post.

Had an interesting windsurf session yesterday when I was attacked by a 3m great white!

Whilst sailing off 4th Beach in Esperance with my freestyle gear I crashed a shaka about 400m out. Almost as soon as I hit the water I looked up to see a 3m great white nibbling the top of my sail. "Faaark there's a bloody shaaaaark!" It was thrashing about chewing my sail with its cheesy grin and I was very quick to get onto my board! So greatful to be having the bigger floatier fstyle board compared to my wave board that day.

It then began circling me maybe 1-2 m away. What was left of my sail was underwater, my board flipped upside down. I was balancing on my upturned board with one leg, the other lightly pushing on the sail trying to keep it at a 45deg or less so it kept me stable. I was worried if the rig went vertical underwater I'd loose stability and fall in. It worked pretty well, the board covering me on one side and the sail on the other. The bright fluro lime and black coloured psycho freestyle board deck might have also acted as natures universal "don't bite me I'll kill you" colour scheme?

There were a half dozen kiters about 300m downwind. I was yelling flat out trying to get their attention and waving my arms but with my mast underwater they though I was some useless kook on a SUP or something?

The circling white would come almost within arms reach on the board side and I would slap the water hard to try and scare it off. It didn't care. It might then go 8m away before coming right back again for a few laps.

I thought about waterstarting but the risk was too high having to get in the water to flip my board and then get the sail into position, and I wasn't sure if the damage to my sail would mean I'd struggle to waterstart anyway, there was 1/3 of it missing.

After 10min of this, the shark still right on me, I had drifted close enough to get within earshot of the kiters. "Theres a ****ing shaarrrk!" I yelled as another kiter yelled back "Paddle in!". Yeah like hell that was an option with the shark still right one me.

Just before I hit the wave zone a kiter came and plonked himself next to me and asked if I wanted a tow in. "MATE get ****ing moving!!" I yelled. This guy had no idea of the situation. I think he thought I was scared stiff and unable to move? I lost eye of the shark and I think maybe this guy did scare it off a little. This was probably the sketchiest part of the whole thing.

A about 20 sec later I copped a set on the head still on my upturned board. In the whitewater with no sight of the shark I flicked my rig upright and sailed out stat, stoked that my shredded sail still had enough power to plane out of there.

The whole time I kept calm, just focusing on the unfolding situation, keeping an eye on sharkyface and the position of my kit with the intention to just wait it out.

I was so stoked it was cross onshore. If I had have floated offshore I'm not sure I'd be here writing this, the shark seemed pretty keen for some tucker.

Lots of friends have checked in asking if I'm OK. Honestly I'm bloody stoked! Not only did I get to experience a top predator up close in the wild doing it's thing, I walked away unscathed and went home to my family with all fingers and toes and bits in place. On top of that Revolution boardsports came to the party and warrantied my sail under "R&D taste testing" ?? Win! (Ben S apologised for leaving a burly bag in the mast tip (joke)) I'm greatful for such a unique experience, but not keen for a rerun.

What blew my mind was the local who offered to drive me back to my car told me on the short drive that he no longer surfs after a failed attack from a 4m white, with a second failed attack just a few weeks later, both in Esperance. Wild.

I packed up my things, and went home to enjoy a crisp Esperance Distillery Co seltzer and play with my son. Then went to the pub for a pint before a good bedtime cuddle with my wife. Good times.

The shark that attacked me was likely the one in the picture below filmed shortly after (Image: Cale Walker). It is a tagged white that was setting of the shark buoy at Twilight Cove (1.5km away) all morning. I don't support shark culling but I think this shark should be removed from the area. Just closing the beach for a day doesn't feel safe. I'd hate for anyone else to have an interaction with it and not come home in one piece, or at all.

Finally, whilst I'm super stoked and can laugh at this experience, I'm mindful that there are families in Esperance that haven't been so lucky with family members that have never come home. I'm one of the lucky ones.

Kudos to severne crew for providing a new sail. Not the first time severne team has done good deeds for others.

Why was the shark hanging round for 10+ minutes? It had a taste of the sail, didn't want to eat that, so what was it waiting for? Are they smart enough to see the primate on the flotsam? Yet not smart enough to either knock it off the board, or jump up for a chomp.

Yeah good comment Wendell.

Or, you could slip onto the cover of the 45 degree sail when the critter was 8m away, flip the board, the rail of which can then be used to lever the rig up. Uphaul and sail away. As for causing a disturbance, he was slapping the water ... which again makes you wonder what the shark makes of that.
I've never had a sail go more than about 45 degrees underwater, or for more than a minute, and that's letting it rise naturally - I'd only lever against the rail more than gently if I was in a big hurry.

All good from anyone not actually sitting on their upturned board watching an apex predator chewing your sail a few feet away!
The rational thinking brain would be scattered in that moment, a skilled sailor indeed that showed incredible presence of mind to achieve the outcome he did.
If sharky had been in full hunt/kill mode the outcome may have been very different.
For it to have been there at the exact moment he fell in is either a remarkable coincidence or it was following him?

Myself- I would go into squid mode and discoloured the water pretty quick