Whenever a shark attacks a surfer it sends shockwaves throughout the surfing community. In the aftermath we become united in sympathy and also shared anxiety - a feeling of helplessness against an apex predator.

That reaction has helped invent technology that supposedly lessens the threat, from smart drum lines to personal electronic deterrents. Neither have shifted the needle much in regards to the likelihood of attack, however rare, with the stats tracking at a constant for many years.

In 2016, ex-South Oz surfer Haydon Burford came up with the idea of a bite-proof wetsuit to protect surfers. As Haydon found out, the idea is one thing, commercialising it is another.

First working with kevlar, in 2019 Haydon moved onto UHWMPE, or ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, a fabric used in the American prison system as it’s both cut-proof and stab-proof.

Tests were carried out by Flinders University at both Norfolk Island for tiger sharks and the Neptune Islands for great white sharks

Now, a further six years after his first prototypes were stitched, Haydon has had his bite-resistant wetsuits thoroughly tested. The good news for surfers is the results of Haydon’s Shark Stop suits, plus three other brands who’ve also entered the market, are very promising.

The results were published today in Wildlife Research, and though encouraging, come with a few caveats. The most obvious being that, though the suits could resist the worst of puncture wounds, they wouldn’t prevent crushing injuries.

“While the materials tested may not prevent bone fractures and crushing injuries and that some punctures and lacerations may still occur, particularly from white shark bites, the bite-resistant materials we tested reduce substantial and critical damages.”

Study co-author Professor Charlie Huveneers said while bite-resistant materials don’t eliminate all risk, “they can reduce blood loss and trauma from major lacerations and punctures, potentially saving lives”.

As the main cause of death from shark bite is the loss of blood or the shock linked to the loss of blood, being able to reduce blood loss helps emergency services get to a victim in time.

The conclusion of the study is worthwhile reading for any surfer curious about bite-resistant wetsuit tech:

“White and tiger sharks are responsible for the most unprovoked bites and are two of the top three species with the highest rate of fatal bites. Interactions between humans and sharks continue to rise in frequency globally, with expanding coastal populations and rising popularity of ocean-based activities. 

"As shark-bite mitigation continues to shift from traditional lethal methods towards non-lethal alternatives, personal protective measures such as electric deterrents and protective wetsuits continue to gain interest as tools to reduce the number of interactions and injuries, and increase the likelihood of survival. 

"Our study showed that bite-resistant materials incorporated into wetsuits can reduce damage from large white and tiger sharks (>3 m) compared with a standard neoprene wetsuit, even from moderate and severe bites. 

"However, there remains a trade-off between the effectiveness and flexibility of these materials, challenging the uptake of such products by ocean goers. Although personal mitigation measures such as electric deterrents can reduce the likelihood of bites from white, tiger and bull sharks, the uptake of personal shark deterrents has been limited, likely because of their high cost and ongoing scepticism of their effectiveness despite independent testing, but also because electric deterrents are not standard equipment for most surfers or divers. 

"By contrast, wetsuits are already used by people engaging in aquatic activities across most areas. Water users are therefore more likely to be willing to spend money on a wetsuit, which will provide thermal protection and can reduce injuries from shark bites rather than purchasing an additional piece of equipment, such as a personal electric deterrent. 

"Our findings will allow for informed decisions to be made about the use of bite-resistant wetsuit materials for occupational activities, as well as enabling the public to make appropriate decisions about the suitability of using these products.”

Read the complete study here.