What made Bass Strait scary

One of the worst parts of preparing to Kite board across Bass Strait was the unknown.
Everyone you come across had something to say. Very rarely positive.
When I first brought up the idea to those who cared the most just said you aren't doing it and assumed that would be the end of it.
My best friend said Bass Strait's notoriously rough, one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world. She then demanded I goggle it!
Her defination was remarkable close to what I read when I goggled it.....
"Bass Strait is particularly dangerous because of its limited depth, it is notoriously rough, with many ships lost there during the 19th century. Strong currents between the Antarctic-driven southeast portions of the Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea's Pacific Ocean waters provide a strait of powerful, wild storm waves. To illustrate its wild strength, Bass Strait is both twice as wide and twice as rough as the English Channel. The shipwrecks on the Tasmanian and Victorian coastlines number in the hundreds.
Many vessels, some quite large, have disappeared without trace, or left scant evidence of their passing. Despite myths and legends of piracy, wrecking and alleged supernatural phenomena akin to those of the Bermuda Triangle, such disappearances can be invariably ascribed to treacherous combinations of wind and sea conditions, and the numerous semi-submerged rocks and reefs within the Straits."

This of course did not discourage me.
I spoke to Nick Malony who was in the photo windsurfing across Bass Strait that inspired me. He told me it took him nearly 22 hours and he spent 2 weeks in hospital afterwards. He had problems with his stomach from the harness and couldn't speak as his tongue was so swollen from all the salt water. He did give me some great advice from his experience however!
Then came advice from someone else who had attempted a crossing who gave a long list of why a kiteboarder could not succeed crossing Bass Strait, including things like areas you can not go through, Oil rigs, random cargo boxes, aboriginal areas, and of course big big sharks.
At the time I took this as just discouragement.
Then there was those who know more about boating, saying I wouldnt get a boat to keep up. I found that hard to believe, but then did discover it required quite a special boat for the job.
Then people told me horror stories about Sydney to Hobart races where people had died. I combated this with the fact that they had to go on one particular day and I coud pick my day.
Then I did a test run with the support boat. They were surprised at the size of my little kite that I blew up in the car park to prepare for a boat launch. Not a good sign. Then we went out in wind that blew up to 40 knots and I lost the board and the kite and threw up on the boat. Captain Stu asked if that was enough to change my mind. Out loud I said no, still keen... my mind maybe wavering just a little while I was still being sick!
Second test run on the boat.. sick again and got water in the waterproof GPS and water in the water proof radio, 2 things I really need that I had to find solutions to. On the third and final test run I took sea sickness tablets!
Then there was fears of huge waves the size of which I had never seen. I kite on flat water whenever possible and dont even own a surfboard.
Every one said I must practise lots more in big waves. Hampton's waves was all I could really manage between kid school pick ups and work committments. Long trips down the coast to practise in waves not really a possiblity.
Then there was wind that I thought might not last or get so strong I couldn't hold on.
I was told I had to kite through three different wind patterns and had to factor that in and try to use a size that would work in 10 - 40 knots wind.
I took my 10m out at Ricketts in 40+ knots to see if I could handle it and nearly ended up on the reef... thank goodness for the IDS.
Then there was the board... every single person I spoke to had a different idea of what I should use. Even when I made my decision no one agreed it was the right board for the job.
Then there was fitness... everyone asked how far had I had kited in one direction before. 3 hours was my best answer - 60km from Mt Martha to Port Melbourne. That was the longest I could do without going out to sea with a boat. I tried so hard to get fit in every way I could, even running which I am terrible at, ending up with Tonsilitis three times in January and Febuary.
Then of course is everyone favourite reason not go go out in Bass Strait... SHARKS.
Now I wasnt scared of sharks, at least not until the news filmed me kiting all the way from Hampton to St.Kilda on top of a 5.5m shark. Then I started to look around when I was out kiting, and found myself frekking out over bobbing sneakers or the mussell farm that looks like hundreds of fins from a distance out from Mentone.
So by the time I stood on the dark cold beach almost windfree beach at Stanley at 5.30 am on March 22nd, with a forecast of huge waves and strong wind I was way to nervous and scared to eat... and seriously considered running away. Those who have seen the Tassie Chanel 9 footage of the morning I left have commented on how terrified I look!
Then everyones favourite fear ... THE SHARKS. Now I wasnt afraid of sharks