I have encountered a Great White before at the beach (but I was on a boat), but it's not uncommon here. You just have to be smart and not swim or surf at dawn or dusk. Most people who have been attacked by sharks have been swimming or surfing at dawn or dusk, I encourage all of my surfer friends to NOT do those pre or post work surfs or you're pretty much asking for it!
Also, it's sad because films like Jaws have depicted Great Whites as ferocious man-eaters, but in reality humans are not their ideal prey. Often when sharks attack humans it's by accident because they thought they were a seal or something, then they take a bite and think "yuck!"
__________________
|