Govind Tekale
Scientists in Australia have found something that could save lives in the water. New wetsuits made with special materials can protect people from the worst shark bite injuries. While these suits won’t stop every injury, they could mean the difference between life and death.
Researchers at Flinders University tested four different bite-resistant materials against real great white and tiger sharks. These are the sharks responsible for most unprovoked attacks on humans. The team wanted to see if modern materials could do better than regular neoprene wetsuits that most people wear.
Dr. Tom Clarke led the study along with Professor Charlie Huveneers. They took their test materials out to sea where sharks live. In Spencer Gulf, they faced great white sharks. Off Norfolk Island, they tested against tiger sharks, they tested against tiger sharks. The researchers used fish bait to attract sharks, then replaced the bait with special “bite packages” covered in different wetsuit materials.
These bite packages were boards wrapped in foam that feels like human tissue. The foam is the same type doctors use for surgical training. When sharks bit down, researchers could measure exactly how much damage each material allowed.
The results showed promise. All four materials they tested – Aqua Armour, Shark Stop, ActionTX-S, and Brewster – performed better than regular neoprene. “While there were small differences between the four tested materials, they all reduced the amount of substantial and critical damage, which would typically be associated with severe haemorrhaging and tissue or limb loss,” Clarke explained.
The secret lies in the fibers used to make these suits. Instead of standard neoprene, they use ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. This material has a very high strength-to-weight ratio, greater than many conventional fibers. The same fibers are used to make sailing rope because they’re incredibly strong but still flexible.
Traditional chainmail suits offered protection but were too heavy and stiff for activities like surfing or diving. These new materials solve that problem. They bend and move with the body while still blocking shark teeth from piercing through the fabric.
The researchers measured bite damage using four categories from superficial to critical. The bite-resistant materials especially reduced the most serious injuries. These are the types of wounds that cause massive blood loss when sharks damage major arteries or tear away chunks of tissue.
However, the scientists are clear about the limits. “While these suits don’t eliminate all the risk (e.g., internal injuries may still occur), our results indicate that they can reduce blood loss and trauma from major lacerations and punctures, potentially saving lives,” Professor Huveneers said. Crushing injuries and broken bones could still happen from the force of a shark’s bite.
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The testing focused on sharks larger than three meters, which are the size most likely to cause serious human injuries. White and tiger sharks are among the top three species for fatal attacks. Interactions between humans and sharks continue to rise globally as coastal populations grow and marine activities become more popular.
Australia averages 20 shark injuries and 2.8 fatalities each year over the past decade. These numbers might seem small, but for coastal communities that depend on tourism and water sports, even rare attacks can have huge impacts.
The study comes as governments look for new ways to protect people without killing sharks. Traditional methods like shark nets catch and kill many other sea animals including turtles, dolphins, and rays. Electric deterrents and protective wetsuits offer alternatives that don’t harm marine ecosystems.
For people who work in the water – commercial divers, abalone fishers, marine biologists – these suits could become standard safety equipment. Recreational users like surfers and divers now have another option alongside other protection methods.
The materials showed effectiveness against sharks over three meters long, which is about 10 feet. Larger sharks might still cause more damage, but the protection would still be better than regular neoprene suits. The key is that these suits could prevent the type of massive bleeding that kills people before rescue arrives.
Dr. Clarke and his team published their findings in the Wildlife Research journal. The study was funded by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Shark Management Program. Importantly, none of the wetsuit manufacturers paid for the research, making the results more reliable.
As one researcher put it, these suits won’t turn anyone into Aquaman, but they might give people a fighting chance if a shark mistakes them for prey. The technology represents a shift toward personal protection that works with nature rather than against it.
