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Someone went fishing in the ocean on a eight hour outing off the Jersey shore [they go out a few miles], and wanted to know if he needs to make a birchas hagomel like all those that travel at sea. See OC 219:1

In Su"T Betzel HaChochma [6/115] he writes that fishermen need to make this bracha for an excursion a few "mil" out. I have never seen or heard about anyone that made this bracha for this type of trip.

Does anyone know of any other source, or "minhag" regarding a bracha in this type of situation?

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    Sefardim are more strict with regards to making the bracha – sam Jul 30 at 23:01
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    @sam you might want to reword that. I, for one, have no idea whether you meant they say it more often or less. – msh210♦ Jul 31 at 3:22
  • Meant they say it more often ,meaning going from city to city is even a reason to say it if it is a parsah or more. – sam Jul 31 at 3:25
  • @sam are you speaking of Hagomel or Tfilat Haderech? – mbloch Jul 31 at 5:03
  • Hagomel,they determine it based off distance not so much danger,not every pose holds lmaaseh,but I do know of a few who do – sam Jul 31 at 13:07
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dinonline answers your question here and writes Birkat ha-gomel should not be recited for a short fishing trip

Shut Kinyan Torah (Vol. 1, no. 16, sec. 3) writes that somebody who sails across the Channel between England and France does not recite the blessing because the journey is short: Just as those who cross the desert only recite ha-gomel after a lengthy journey, so in sailing on the sea ha-gomel is only recited after a trip of significant length.

The same principle applies to other short sailing trips, such as a short cruise or a fishing trip, after which ha-gomel is not recited. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichos Shlomo Chap. 23, Devar Halachah 5) writes that somebody who sails on the Kinneret, or near the shore, should not recite ha-gomel, because in case of trouble help can be given from the shore.

This might be a machloket Ashkenazim-Sefaradim though as R Yirmiyohu Kaganoff notes here

The Biur Halacha discusses whether one travelling a short trip by river on a raft should recite birchas hagomeil. He says that it depends on the above-mentioned dispute between Ashkenazim and Sefardim whether one recites birchas hagomeil for a short intercity land trip. According to minhag Ashkenaz, that one does not recite birchas hagomeil for a short trip, one should not recite birchas hagomeil for a trip by raft; whereas, according to minhag Sefard, which recites birchas hagomeil even for a short intercity trip, one should recite birchas hagomeil for a short river trip.

(by minhag Sefard I believe he means Sefaradi/Edot HaMizrach)

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