Border Buffalo City Masters team surfer Graeme Field is also a genius fly fisherman.
He knows exactly what a predator fish looks like when it takes a look at a lure, so he completely knew what was happening at Queensbury Point recently when a great white shark changed course to take a look at his son.
In his own words: “My 13-year-old son Daniel and I were surfing Queensberry Bay point.
“We were sitting about 6 or 7m apart, me further out, him closer in but more towards the bay.
“I was facing back towards the point because we were talking to each other. So Daniel was slightly to my right.
“The shark suddenly appeared out of the back of a wave between the point rocks and us, kind of in line with Daniel but heading towards me.
“There was absolutely no doubt it was a great white — you know instantly. That fin is unmistakable.
“It wasn’t much more than 5m from me.
“I just remember thinking, ‘This is happening. This is real. And I need to handle this properly.’
“I saw the fin and shouted ‘shark, shark, shark! Keep still, keep still!’
“Daniel was looking at the fin side on and I was looking at it more front on.
“It was swimming towards me, fin out the water, and then started angling more like it was going to go between us.
“Then it went underwater a bit so its fin wasn’t visible above the water any more.
“I could still see the shark clearly because the morning sun was behind me.
“Afterwards, Daniel said after the fin disappeared underwater he could see its dark shape for a bit but then he couldn’t see it any more.
“Then it seemed to notice Daniel and it turned 90º and went straight towards him.
“At that point Daniel was still keeping still and staying relatively calm and listening to me.
“It’s probably a good thing he didn’t see it coming towards him and panic.
“That was the scariest point for me.
“The only thing I could think was that I had to get it to turn back to me.
“So I got half off my board and started shaking my board backwards and forwards to attract it, and fortunately, it worked and the shark turned totally around and started swimming back to me.
“As soon as it did I knew that was Daniel’s chance to get to safety and just screamed at him to paddle for the rocks.
“But shame, he didn’t, he just shouted ‘but what about you Dad?’ I just screamed ‘Go my boy, go, go, go!’
“He only told me afterwards that when I jumped off my board to try to get it to come back to me that he thought the shark had knocked me or pulled me off my board and he didn’t want to leave me there. Brave boy.
“I knew that if I could keep the shark focused on me, and as long as I could keep it in sight [and keep my board between me and the shark] then I had some degree of control over the situation.
“Anyway, it kept coming and swam right up to me and rolled slightly onto its side and eyeballed me.
“I just remember thinking ‘just hold your nerve, just wait and see what it does, don’t piss it off’.
“It was right next me but just checking me out so I waited until it’s head was past me and then I jabbed it in its side with the nose of my board and it gave one flick of its tail and glided away from me but into the morning sun and I couldn’t see it any more.
“I knew that was my chance and I paddled towards the shore and Daniel.
“Daniel was paddling but had his legs down so I shouted at him to lift his legs and paddle hard for the rocks and I got in behind him so I was between him and the shark and pushed him forward and we kept paddling until we were shallow enough to be safe.
“That point that I paddled for shore was very scary because I couldn’t see the shark any more and didn’t know where it was or what it was doing.
“But fortunately, it left us alone. Then we just stayed right next to the rocks all the way back to the beach.
“After a big hug on the beach, we didn’t say too much to each other on the way home, I guess each just processing what had happened.
“I got a bit emotional when we got home and I saw my wife, Lia, I think mostly from relief that our child was OK.
“I’ve been chased out by sharks before [surfing], and I worked as a saltwater fishing guide for a number of years and many times have had big sharks swimming right up to us when wading on the flats on the atolls in the tropics.
“I’ve also had a particularly close call with a big great white at Yellow’s point in 2004, but this was my most scary encounter.
“It’s a total game changer when it’s your child in the water with you.
“My fishing guiding experience really helped [having had to manage a number of shark/client encounters over the years] and I felt like I was thinking clearly and was watching the shark closely and not panicking and just making decisions based on its body language.
“Like when it turned towards Daniel I was thinking ‘make enough commotion to attract it to me but not enough to excite it and make it attack’.
“Fortunately, it seemed to work because the shark just turned and came to me but its body language didn’t change.
“Then when it swam right up to me, rolled on its side, and I looked it straight in the eye and again had to make a call on its body language and resisted the urge to jab it with my board too soon.
“I remember thinking ‘don’t piss it off’ by jabbing it in the face or something, so I held back and only jabbed it in the side once its head was past me, and fortunately it just glided away.
“It wasn’t a huge shark, maybe 3m, but more than big enough.
“It wasn’t ever aggressive and was just being inquisitive but they are unpredictable creatures, so fortunately we didn’t do anything to excite it.
“But it was a hairy few moments.
“It also felt quite different because it wasn’t like previous sightings when surfing when you just get a glimpse of a fin further out ... it was right next to us, in relatively clean flat water, fin out, big body shadow and we had to deal with it being right in between us, swimming right up to us checking us out.
“Now we have to figure to get back on the horse and get back out there.
“The key lesson is don’t panic. Do not kick or splash or become hysterical.”
Greg Emslie many years ago also had a scary great white stare-down experience at Queensbury Point.
When you get the chance, the name of the game is to quickly but quietly paddle out of the area.
And then church on Sunday to give thanks is not a bad idea too.
The SA Masters surfing championships take place at Long Beach, Cape Town, from October 19 to 22.
Understandably, Border Buffalo City are thrilled to have Graeme Field still in the team (and Daniel Field safe and sound).
Amen to the safety of Graeme and Daniel. Well done on staying cool-headed in a tight situation, chaps.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.