Testing Ironskinn’s surf armor. Photo: screenshot
It’s pretty cool to think about wetsuits and trunks that can keep you safe from a shark bite. And in a lot of ways, it’s a logical development for any ocean sport — the more of us get in the water, the more we’re going to interact with sharks.
What seems less logical about one Australian company’s bite-resistant gear development process? That they’re conducting it in Oklahoma.
If you don’t know where that is, don’t feel bad. The nearest open water to Oklahoma is the Gulf of Mexico, several hundred miles away.
But because Tulsa’s Oklahoma Aquarium keeps the world’s largest population of bull sharks, the landlocked state is actually uniquely suited as a shark-bite testing ground.
Ironskinn contacted Oklahoma State University (OSU)’s Jim Smay to ask if he’d help test the company’s gear about a year ago, Oklahoma’s KFOR News reported.
Ironskinn’s developing products include wetsuits and surf trunks made from heavy-duty materials and even alloy plates to fend off shark bites. Smay works as the head of material science and engineering at OSU Tulsa’s Helmerich Research Center, and he knew right away why the company wanted to consult him. Bull sharks bite with the highest force of any shark — and they also tend to thrash and tear when they bite.
A Caribbean bull shark. Photo: Shutterstock
According to KFOR, the study involves small boards with salmon filets tacked onto the outside. Then, underneath, the researchers wrap Ironskinn’s three layer, soft, and plated armor swim gear around another piece of salmon. That chunk simulates a diver’s arm.
From what Smay told the outlet, Ironskinn’s gear has tested impressively well against bull sharks so far.
“The iron skin product [sic] both helps with the penetration part and also with the slicing part when the shark starts to thrash,” he said. “You may have a bruise or perhaps a broken bone because the shark had enough jaw strength to do that, [but] that’s a lot better than not having an arm.”
Amen. Ironskinn has also tested its gear against great whites in New Zealand. It’s primed for launch now, as of a recent Kickstarter campaign. You can get swag like hats and polo shirts at fairly nominal pledge levels, but if you want Ironskinn’s shark bite-resistant surf pants, you’ll need to throw down: a pair costs AU $850 (US $585).
Still, if the Oklahoma testing reflects how the gear will perform in the wild, it stands a chance to help humans and sharks alike. KFOR said Smay “wanted to emphasize” that the research is geared toward conservation, and that no sharks are coming to harm through it. And we all know the aquatic apex predators can face harmful stigma — largely based on encounters with humans that turn bloody.
