Supping is safe at Port St. Johns 2nd Beach – in the estuary
Supping is safe at Port St. Johns 2nd Beach – in the estuary! After weeks of bumping into people and hearing their stories in and around PSJ, it definitely does not seem safe to even consider going into that piece of ocean. http://africasup.com/ gave us two SUPs to give it a go, which we did, and have come to the verdict that this place is just too full of sharks for any kind of water boarding at all.
But we gave it a go…
Don’t even think about trying it. It was so spooky, the shallow bar gives way to a deep and ominous undertow that sucks you out to sea in no time. At last we got a wave or two, but Brucifire took a hit on the nose and on the finger and was bleeding all over the place. We quit while ahead, and moved into the estuary for some balancing practise and a swim with the lifeguards.
There are just too many sharks, it’s that simple.
This is shark central. There are no nets here, and no subsistence shark reapers. The sharks abound. And they love the Umzimvubu, which is full of them, big mammas down to small pups. We catch them all the time. And see them.
There is a lot to attract them to the area, Pristine eco systems and reefs. Dirty water. Kob…
So until a shark exclusion barrier ( not a shark net system like the killer gill nets in KZN) is installed at 2nd Beach, there will be no takers. The reason we undertook this publicity stunt was to garner support for the exclusion barrier. Exposure through controversy, and it seems to be working. The lifeguards are involved and stakeholders in the town are excited.
Drownings are also a huge problem down in Port St. Johns. This device will almost certainly put a stop to accidental drownings completely. The lifeguards patrol within the exclusion zone, right amongst the bathers, as they maintain the barrier through the tides. The barrier is removed completely at night, or in bad weather and ocean conditions.
Note: We are not writing Supping off at 2nd Beach completely. I mean a huge 10 ft board gives you 1000 times more chances of shark encounter survival. In a flat sea it’s even safer. If a shark comes past, just hit the deck and hide!
