Five Point-Of-View Shark Clips to adjust our minds in 2014

There isn’t a surf dog alive who doesn’t have a respect, crippling fear or some sick curiosity (or all of the above) about the ocean’s most well-equipped predators: Sharks. They’re always there, and we’re aware of that in the sense that we know we’re in their hood. But most the time we don’t actually realise that they’re often, like, right there. Our vibrations, smells and overall presence are not lost on any dorsal-finned creature within reasonable proximity. Humans got a stank, and sharks drink it in. But we push ’em from our minds and go about our business, surfing like we’ve done since we were pups.

Then there’s those who go looking for sharks. Or, the less-popular encounter type: Getting snuck up on (Mark Healey is one of the rare former). Call it Human survival instincts and wanting to know what’s out there, but watching point-of-view shark encounter clips stirs that confusing blend of respect, fear and curiosity with gusto. It’s now January, and one of Stab‘s collective New Year rezzies is to surf like it’s a shark-free ocean. No matter how dark, grey or alive the ocean is, we’re out there. And, on that note, what better way to adjust the mind than to see five clips of brave folk being BFFs with the good ol’ After Dark.

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1. The Mad Hueys B-Grade Shark Dive, Gold Coast. 

The Mad Hueys, a clothing collective from the Gold Coast, are brilliant at guerrilla advertising. They hang around World Champs, have their clothes repped by some social heavy weights and, in this instance, create viral videos all in the name of a good laugh: which almost went very wrong in this case.

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2. A Blonde And A Great White Shark
Now here’s a title to scoop clicks if ever y’did see one. Ocean Ramsey (yup, that’s her name IRL) is a freediver who’s not so scared of Whites. This actually gets pretty hard to fathom from about 40 seconds in.

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3. Curious Tiger at Haleiwa
At 11:30 am on a Saturday in 2012, 808divebomber was having a swell time loading still-kicking catches onto his boat. Then, a 13 foot Tiger Shark swanned in. Regardless of how he mighta been feeling, and as if in the best kinda testament to Hawaiian aloha, you’ll notice dude throwing a shakka to the thing at the 1:57 mark.

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3. Shark Riders (Director’s Cut)
Oh, Mr Mark Healey, you wild man. Not content with gunning Mavericks, Jaws or wherever else he can (with bare hands, mostly), Mark gets his kicks from freediving with sharks. This guy might just capture the best GoPro footage outta any other surfer alive.

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5. Kimi Werner And A Great White Shark
Another wildly emasculating and awesome clip of a totally unafraid girl, this time Kimi Werner, holding onto the fin of a Great White. “Treading the line with predator and prey,” as Patagonia so aptly say about their ambassador. This is another must-be-seen-to-be-believed deal.

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If you want POV footage with the real retina display (like, lifesize!), you’ll dig this: Poliakov Vodka is sending two pals to Port Lincoln to get up close with Great Whites. Plus, there’s 25 GoPro cameras up for grabs. Click here to enter.