Newbie salt water beach questions

[bigtim1973]

Ok guy, I been getting everything together to go salt water wading and detecting. I was wondering about some safety issues. My mom in law got hit by a sting ray several years ago. So with that being said, are there any precautionary things I need to pay attention to before I take my big butt out there wading around in the surf.

Jellyfish, stingrays, do I need to shuffle my feet instead of regular walking? No flashy stuff to attract sharks? Or am I looking into this a bit too much?

Is it safer to wear some type of khaki cargo pants than to just wear swim trunks?

All input or advice is welcome and thanks in advanced! Tim

 

[goodmore]

Shuffle the feet. Keep the coil in front of you. I wear surf boots with lycra socks. I doubt they would stop a ray, but I feel more secure. The socks help with sand abrasion. I wear swim trunks. They dry quickly and do not rub the family jewels or get heavy. Comfort is an absolute necessity. No cell phone. One waterproof container on a necklace for my key fob.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... do I need to shuffle my feet instead of regular walking? No flashy stuff to attract sharks? Or am I looking into this a bit too much?

Uh .... yes. Even for wading in the surf-line .... your life is "not in danger". Heck, there are scuba people 24-x-7, all over the place, who (gasp) touch the bottom, swim around, etc... and aren't eaten by sharks or stung by stingrays. And surfers who lolly-lag around in the surf-line till the cows come home , and ...... aren't killed.

I'm sure you can find a rogue headline, from somewhere in the world, of someone who got "stung and died" or got "chomped by a shark", etc..... But so too can I find a headline of someone who got "killed in an airplane crash", etc...

Me thinks you are over-thinking this.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I do not worry about sting rays and or sharks. The odds are nearly non existent of getting bit by a shark or hit by a sting ray. Hundreds of millions of people play in the ocean every year and then number of shark bites is very small. Same with sting rays. You have better odds of winning the lottery.

Of course the Media loves to play up the shark bites. Sensationalism sells newspapers etc.

I have had sharks swim by me while detecting. They either ignored me or got out of dodge when they realized I was there.

 

[dewcon4414]

You step on a sting way ..... they try to wiggle out from under your feet. If they see you coming or your coil hits them they move. Not sure where you are as to the jelly fish. but for the most part a nice dive SKIN shirt works ..... they sell complete suits if there are a lot of jellly fish in your area. Most of the time Jelly fish like those sting rays have seasons where they are worse than others. As close in as you will be......... i wouldnt worry about the sharks.... most want nothing to do with you. Hard bottom dive boots like MARES 6.7mm work great and are heavy enough NOT to stink over time like the thinner ones and the hard bottoms dont wear when you are using your scoop.

 

[bigtim1973]

Thanks for all of yiur input. I appreciate the advice and opinions. Like I said I am not quite there yet but am gathering information to be prepared for when the time does arrive. Until then I evlnvy each of you who are able to get out and play in the surf currently!! HH Tim

 

[gamiller2]

I've inadvertently wandered into area only to find myself amongst many sting rays. For peace of mind I sometimes wear a product called stingrays gaurdz. I never been bitten but have been told they are very painful. Some people will wear a pfd. It's not that these are always necessary. It really come down to situation awareness and what your comfortable with.

 

[TinCanBeach]

One more vote on the Mares hard sole dive boots. So comfortable you can walk to the surf wearing them from the car. Or ride a bike in them.