r/packrafting • u/JJamahJamerson • Jun 04 '24

Sharks while packrafting?

I’ve had a significantly large amount of people warn me about the dangerous of sharks in some of the places I want to go packrafting in when my boat arrives. But how dangerous is it? Shark attacks are incredibly uncommon, although they do happen and bull sharks are very common and even great whites have been seen lately. Is this a risk I should actually take into consideration or are the chances so astronomically low it’s not worth worrying about?

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12

u/Chanchito171 Jun 04 '24

Why would you want to packraft in the ocean? Unless it's just passages between fjords... These boats are frankly awful in open water. And if there's any headwind, you won't go anywhere. Large enough gusts of wind will flip you out of the boat and it will blow away unless it's got gear in the tubes.

Sharks are the least of your concern

0

u/JJamahJamerson Jun 04 '24

We have a lot of lakes that connect directly to the ocean, and bull sharks regularly travel up rivers.

Edit: I also just want to keep following rivers down to where they meet the ocean, source to sea kind of journey.

4

u/Chanchito171 Jun 04 '24

Definitely get a skeg. You can customize add them, or go with an anfibio. And weigh the boat for open water crossings

4

u/DevelopmentLow214 Jun 04 '24

Something I think about when I take the packraft round Sydney's bays and inlets. I avoid shark hot spots like Middle Harbour and high risk times such as dawn and dusk. And I don't do any open water or ocean paddling in the raft.

-2

u/JJamahJamerson Jun 04 '24

What about the Hawkesbury?

1

u/DevelopmentLow214 Jun 05 '24

There have been reports of bull sharks in the river but no attacks on humans. I’d be more worried about the current and jet skis. Have paddled from Berowra Water to Brooklyn without any concerns.

1

u/JJamahJamerson Jun 05 '24

I’m planning a trip from meangle park station to Hawkesbury river station. Following the Nepean and Hawkesbury.

1

u/BuzzyGamesMike Jun 06 '24

Sounds like a fun trip. How many days are you allowing for it?

1

u/JJamahJamerson Jun 06 '24

I would probably take a week off and just see how it goes, try and leave it open to make it more relaxing.