Shark story - Freeport, TX

by Mike
(El Campo, TX)

I discovered the sport of surfing while attending junior college. The girl I was dating, use to go out with a surfer. It sounded like fun, so I tried it. A week later, I had my first board. A 7'2" waterlogged single fin. I'd been teaching myself to surf for a few months, so we took a trip to Freeport to check out the surf.

It was small and mushy, like most Texas summer days. I'd been in the lineup for at least 30 minutes, and started paddling like mad to catch the wave. As I reached down under the water to paddle, my right hand felt like it was rubbing sand paper. I knew right away it was a shark. I never saw it, but I took a full paddle stroke along it's back. I nearly fell off my board I was shaking so bad. I "belly-boarded" to the beach without putting a hand or foot in the water.

That's my only shark story. I did have a dolphin come to the surface and spew water from his blow hole about 2 feet from me once. Scared the crap outta me!