florida gators

hitch29 07-28-2006, 12:58 PM

are there alligators in the florida lakes i see in wakeboarding magazines? how do the wakeboarders avoid getting chomped?

(innov8) · (innov8) **Join Date: May 2005** 07-28-2006, 1:02 PM

By using them as sliders.

(byrd) · (byrd) **Join Date: Dec 2005** 07-28-2006, 1:11 PM

Usually they are not out during the day. They like to move around in the morning and at dusk. If you leave them alone, they wont bother you. The biggest problem we have here with gators is that tourists try to feed them and after a while they get use to people and expect food from them....

(bendow) · (bendow) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 07-28-2006, 1:13 PM

lol! hey kids, wanna feed the Gators? haha

(ghostrider_2) · (ghostrider_2) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 07-28-2006, 6:30 PM

Just watched on the news that a Florida boarder got his leg bit by a gator and the only thing that saved him was the "fingers in the eyes". I don't know where in FL., just caught my attention as I was walking through the hallway

(grich575) · (grich575) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 07-28-2006, 7:27 PM

Mating season just ended so the aggressiveness of the gators will be going back down. We see at least two or three each time we go out. As Byrd said, if you leave them alone they usually keep their distance.

(fill_er_up) · (fill_er_up) **Join Date: May 2006** 07-29-2006, 7:14 AM

Kenny, I saw that news story over and over about the kid who got bit recently and saved himself jamming a finger in the gators eyes. He got chomped on good but saved his life with that move. He was not wakeboarding. Him and some friends were on the St. Johns river hanging out splashing on the shoreline. I saw a follow up story that said the attack occurred after dusk AND they had spotted gators earlier in the day but still went to the same spot to hang at prime time. Gators are like snakes... leave them alone and they go on with their day. If you see them and try to spray them with a powerslide or happen to take a crash right into a breeding area, all bets are off!

(zipe) · (zipe) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 07-29-2006, 12:56 PM

One of my favorite quotes was a Florida Park Ranger talking on TV about gators and people walking their dogs along the waterline..."to the gator that poodle is just a fuzzy marshmallow on a string"

Made me laugh

Shawn

(dreevs) · (dreevs) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 07-29-2006, 1:18 PM

Florida waters are full of gators, snakes and sharks - better to stay where the snow is...

(grich575) · (grich575) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 07-29-2006, 1:42 PM

Piss on the snow!!! I need it warm. Can't wakeboard in the snow anyway, or at least I can't.

(gnelson) · (gnelson) **Join Date: Jun 2003** 07-30-2006, 8:40 AM

The report I saw on the today show said the kid was dangling his feet in the water and the gator snatched his leg and drug him in!

(duffy) · (duffy) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 07-30-2006, 3:09 PM

Thats why Florida wake boarders are so good. If you fall you take a chance of getting ate.

atom_ant 07-30-2006, 3:16 PM

Check out this little guy! He was caught on a lake off of Highway 50 in Orlando towards Titusville.

Upload

(shortman) · (shortman) **Join Date: Jan 2006** 07-30-2006, 8:27 PM

Not exactly. http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/wcgator.asp

atom_ant 07-31-2006, 9:42 AM

looks like I caught the later version of that. Makes me feel better though. Good Call Mike.