It is a delicate balancing act to nose-ride a nine-foot-long board. In order to be that far ahead of the fulcrum of the board and hang ten or hang five, you need to be riding in the power pocket of a steep face with the tail of the board embedded in the white water behind.
If you get it wrong, the nose of the board will pearl and the tail of the board will catapult out of the water. End of ride, wipe out.
Another balancing act is to simultaneously enjoy the environment and all the sharks that swim in it, counterposed against the fact that it is nice to still have arms and legs and full faculties when you have finished surfing.
The risk and reward ratio here has a lot of consequences.
And so it was in the past couple of weeks that 28-year-old Nathan Staude and friends were surfing the dangerously named “dead man’s gully” on our east coast when a ragged tooth shark plainly appeared in the crystal clear water in front of him.
Staude and friends rather quickly got out of the water and went to have coffee and breakfast.
Sharks are prone to swim off and, given a bit of time, it is likely “safe” to paddle out again.
And so the crew were back in the water a little later to enjoy some winter northwest wind direct offshore tube rides. Conditions were a little ominous.
Chilly water, crystal clear on a bright day in mid-winter shad, whale and sardine season.
The ocean was busy with birds, whales and fish on the day, with a bait ball some distance out to sea.
Very much alive one might say.
Low and behold a second shark of the day launched out of the water a mere five or so metres in front of the surfers with an obvious large and toothy smile showing.
Only the head of the shark came out of the water and not the tail, so it was impossible to identify the unmistakable bulb that belongs to a great white, but certainly the snout was very pointed and the underbelly quite white.
Greg Emslie, sitting next to Nathan, also got a good view of the shark and the lads made good haste to exit the water, shouting to all surfers nearby to get out.
Some of those who had not seen the shark or the earlier shark were pretty slow to get out.
Nathan, motivated by his second shark in one day, pretty much paddled on to Greg’s back before they tidied themselves up and made plain their escape.
Asked how he feels about sharks in general, Nathan answers: “I know they are always there but I just paddle out with a positive mindset and positive intention.
“I have peace knowing they are there but I will say that I do pray before I paddle out.”
Of course, the safest way to respond to sharks might be to not surf at all and stay at home wrapped in cotton wool, but that isn’t living, is it?
Similarly, car accidents are a high risk but none of that keeps us off the road — we all still like to get out and about.
When not being harassed by toothy critters Nathan likes to ride a 6’1” Lampeace quad, his 7”2” Lumpeace twin pin or his 9”8” single fin longboard, which he co-shaped with Lumpeace.
Nathan has recently enjoyed some time in JBay with Des and Steve Sawyer in the shaping bay and is also enjoying offering some longboard and beginner surf coaching.
He dreams of expanding his surf coaching, possibly trying his hand at some more shaping and manufacture, and then perhaps offering support through surfing for autism, trauma and PTSD.
It all hangs in the balance, so to speak.
Hopefully, the worst that happens is a nose dive and a splash, and the best?
Living the dream, in the waves, great friendships, good health, great adventure and sharing the ocean. The life of the thalassophile.
Aloha Nathan Staude.
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.