Stoked On | Mike Coots
Hearing Mike Coots' story for the first time definitely gave us the heebie-jeebies. His near death experience with a tiger shark happened over 14 years ago when he was 18 and going out for a session at his home in Kauai. A tiger shark latched on to his right leg and after a few punches to the shark's face Mike paddled back to shore as fast as he could. His leg started to spasm aggressively on the way in..he thought the shark had chomped his leg once again. It wasn't until he turned around that he realized his lower right leg was missing and spewing blood. He described the experience to be painless, but just full of pressure. As he got to shore some by-standers tied his leg off and he was on his way to the hospital in the back of a pick up truck.
Today, Mike seeks even more adventure than he ever did and surfs better than he ever has on a carbon fiber prosthetic. He's an accomplished photographer and a shark activist (what!). He stood in our office explaining the experience like it was straight out of a movie...all while showing us some footage from the day before of him swimming with great white sharks. Rather than find redemption, he figured he'd seek peace.
Flick through some photos from his swim with great whites in the Vissla 7 Seas Wetsuit and take a peek at some of his photographic work.
Today, Mike seeks even more adventure than he ever did and surfs better than he ever has on a carbon fiber prosthetic. He's an accomplished photographer and a shark activist (what!). He stood in our office explaining the experience like it was straight out of a movie...all while showing us some footage from the day before of him swimming with great white sharks. Rather than find redemption, he figured he'd seek peace.
Flick through some photos from his swim with great whites in the Vissla 7 Seas Wetsuit and take a peek at some of his photographic work.