A friend of mine just returned from a trip to the beach with her significant other. She said while standing in "ankle-deep" water and relaxing, she noticed a man running toward her, waving his arms frantically. Yep...shark. The shark went right by her legs about a foot away from her. It then went towards two women who were further out but who had their backs to them and couldn't see my friend screaming to them to watch out! THANKFULLY...the women saw everyone come running out toward them and caught on....they froze. The shark went on by them. THIS IS WHY I DON'T GO IN THE OCEAN. OMG...This story gives me the heebie jeebies just relating it to ya'll.

Give me a pool with a bottom in it...any day.

JJ

You'll notice that I said, SITTING ON THE SAND. I wouldn't be caught dead (shark) in the ocean...I saw JAWS and yes i took it very seriously....

speaking of sharks....me and hubby were at Gulf Shores last month while he was on furlough, managed a 3 day escape. We were in water about waist high, and a sand shark swam betwixt us. I was totally freaked and just started backing away to shore and trying to get him to come along, saying in a pipsqueak voice "shark, shark...." hoping he'd hear. I didn't want to scare the others swimming nearby too much, thrashing around and all is not good....Needless to say, I was very cautious from then out. We love Gulf Shores because it is such a placid place but the rearrangement of the sandbars from the hurricanes must have made it much more shark-prone. Jaws aside, it is scary, but after all, we are guests in THEIR home. I have a sister in NJ that will never get in the ocean...she's seen all the Jaws movies wayyyy too many times!

judym, occasionally, my husband and the kids have surf fished when at the beach. They'd do it early morning, or late night. Anyway, they've often caught sand sharks. Just the little ones. But I always think Momma and Poppa have to be out there somewhere!

I still swim in the ocean, but I really like to have something to hold onto just in case I feel something on the bottom.

When I was three years old I was in the water with my older cousin and we were walking along on a sandbar and didn't know it. I took a step and went down, he saw me reached out and grabbed my hair and yanked me back up. My dad said the step off was about 9 feet or so. Another reason I prefer the pool where the bottom can be seen and felt.

Oh yes, we have fished offshore and caught a mess of sharks,always chucking the smallish ones back, but that one cruising between us in waist deep water made me realize we are just visiting at their home. But creeped me out and worried me nonetheless!

judym, are you a fisherwoman? My daughter loves to fish.

Yes, Dotsie, I just LOVE to fish- saltwater! Don't get nearly enough chance for it though. Give me a surf rod and some bait, I'm in heaven. Dad raised me to love fishing, crabbing, and clamming up in NJ when I was just a little one. He'd fish for the table, and it always was so good, plus a good bonding thing for us. Our travels have given me the chance to fish along the Eastern Seaboard a good bit, but I'm kind of landlocked now! My husband is an avid fly fisherman, but I haven't ever liked the freshwater fishing that much. Good on your daughter, wish her a good catch from me!!

BOy would my daughter like to ahng out with you and your hubby. Maybe he could teach her to fly fish. SHe's never done that.

My only memory of fly fishing is from when I was a teen. One of the guys was goofing off while fly fishing and hooked his stomach. I almost got sick when he shut his eyes, winced, and yanked the hook out of his stomach by pulling on the line. Makes me weak thinking about it.

My daughter, Ross, and duaghter's boyfriend are going on a rock fishing trip on the Chesapeake Bay in a couple weeks. They've been catching big ones, and lots of them.

Happy fishing.