[CKF Info] DON'T TRUST THE LIFEGUARDS

[BSchlot24 at aol.com]

We were kayak surfing in Arcada in a contest one Labor Day (Dick Wold's)  and 
they were flying the beaches because a great white had been spotted at the  
next beach north.  We surfed anyway in the contest and the waves were big  and 
the current strong.  As luck and less skill then, after many rolls, I  bailed 
out of my boat.  No, I didn't think about the shark, just mad at  myself and 
hurrying to the beach dragging my kayak to go back out and finish my  heat.  I 
did get back to the break and finished my heat.  
 
I saw one shark in Mexico at my home break in the early morning and I had  
the water to myself (others still sleeping in for various reasons).  At  first, 
I felt like bolting for the beach, but my interest and sanity (no quick  
movements) took over and I put my feet on my big board (9'8") and watched  it.   I 
was glad I wasn't surfing my short board. I had no idea what  kind, but think 
the GW's like the cold water.  We do have hammerheads and  lots of stinging 
(scorpions, agua malas (Portuguese Man of War) biting things  (dengue laden 
mosquitos all over).  We also have beautiful sea snakes,  poisonous but docile and 
they just feed around the reefs and mind their own  business.  We almost got 
wacked by a whale while sailing February.  We  weren't chasing them, but just 
sailing and it came up and luckily we were able  to turn the boat on a peso  ( 
a quick little J boat) and got out of  its way.
 
Unlike Jen, I have a high possibility of getting thumped by a coco or  struck 
by lightning during late summer and the daily lightning storms.  But  my 
biggest fear here is the  2 lane road from Sayulita to Bucerias (where  at 
Bucerias the road goes to 4 lanes divided to Puerto Vallarta).  People  pass with 
whole families in the back of pick up trucks every day on blind  turns.   I have 
seen them spin out and also almost hit fuel  trucks.  There are wrecks and 
near misses daily.  Someday soon, the  toll road will be finished from the border 
and we will have a safe road and I  can focus my primary fear somewhere else, 
possibly a shark
 
Pam Schlotter
Nayarit, MX



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