Sharks are an unavoidable part of surfing. Unless you’re surfing in a wavepool, on a river wave, or braving the cold of wintertime lake surfing, you’re paddling out into the territory of one of earth’s apex predators. We do a lot to try and mitigate the potential for an encounter – gadgets like Sharkbanz and the Ocean Guardian Shark Shield promise to repel sharks while out in the water, and in places like Australia, the government has stepped in, installing drum lines and shark nets at popular swimming and surfing locations.
The new Shark Stop is made with advanced materials to withstand the bite of a shark. Photo: Shark Stop.
The new Shark Stop wetsuits take a different approach. Instead of trying to prevent a shark attack, Shark Stop wetsuits are designed to minimize damage in the event of one. The wetsuits are made of a “high tech polymer, the same material used to make tow ropes for pulling ships,” says Shark Stop inventor Hayden Burford. And while a shark’s bite might penetrate the fabric, it will only cause small puncture wounds as opposed to the brutal injuries those attacked by sharks normally sustain.
The wetsuits will come in both a dive and a surf version, with varying thicknesses. After launching on Kickstarter, the new product was fully funded within 48 hours. The price is steep, at $995 AUD ($715 USD) to pre order a surf suit, but it could be worth it. “It’s an expensive product to make, but what’s your leg or your arm worth?” says Burford.
