Shark-proof Wetsuits Will Soon Hit The Market
In late 2019, Swellnet spoke to Haydon Burford about his latest invention. Just over two years later Burford's shark-proof wetsuit - called the Shark Stop - is about to hit the market.
A wetsuit designed to drastically reduce the impact of a shark bite is about to hit the market. The Shark Stop suit is the brainchild of Haydon Burford, an inventor from Lennox Head on the far north coast of New South Wales.
Burford came up with the idea about five years ago, while discussing a spate of attacks that had rocked the region.
"We were sitting around the kitchen table and talking about a mate of mine who runs a company in Melbourne that makes jeans that are kevlar-lined, so if you come off your motorbike you don't lose a lot of skin," Burford said.
"My partner Liz said, 'How come no-one has come up with a wetsuit that stops sharks ripping you apart?'"
So began a testing and design process that saw the kevlar idea discarded and replaced with a polymer fabric called UHWMPE, or ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene .
"They were using it in the American prison system for protection because apparently this fabric is cut proof and stab proof," Burford said.
Shark Stop factory manager Shane Holiday with one of the new wetsuits (Haydon Burford)
Put to the test
Professor Charlie Huveneers, from the Flinders University College of Science and Engineering, agreed to put the polymer fabric to the test in the mouths of great white sharks off the Neptune Islands in South Australia.
"We were able to compare the damage between standard neoprene [the material used in traditional wetsuits] and the new fabric," Professor Huveneers said. "What we basically saw was the number of holes, the size of the holes and the depth of the holes was reduced substantially with that new fabric."
"Obviously we are aware that it's not going to be stopping bone breakages or internal injuries," continued Professor Huveneers, "but we do know that the main cause of death from a shark bite is the loss of blood or the shock linked to the loss of blood. Being able to reduce that loss of blood would help the emergency services to get to the victim in time."
The polymer is put to the test in the mouth of a great white shark in South Australia (Flinders University)
Price of protection
But the prospect of increased protection will come at a price. The first batch of Shark Stop suits are being offered for sale at $795, but the recommended retail price will be $995.
Top-of-the-range wetsuits are currently about $650, and are marketed as much on flexibility as warmth.
"We're not building wetsuits for the pros," Burford said. "They want a super-flexible suit and we can't offer that."
Burford said his design offered the sort of flexibility enjoyed - or endured - by surfers in the '80s and '90s.
"You've got to be prepared to give up a little bit of flexibility, but then if a shark comes up and bites you, it's not going to kill you."
An online kickstarter campaign designed to raise $100,000 has exceeded its target less than a week after being launched.
// BRUCE MACKENZIE
© Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved.
Comments
Few are wearing a wetsuit in the warmer months in Queensland or norther NSW, so only for cooler months? Unless someone invents a "lycra" style fabric that cannot be penetrated by a shark bite it is hard to say whether this will run off the racks?
I wear a wetsuit 6 months of the year in northern nsw. The other 6 months i wear a springy. i guess a long sleeve springy would offer better protection than a short but you could still get your leg chomped off I spose. pretty exxy considering I need 2 (one drying overnight while the other being used) which I don't like paying over $200 for a wetsuit, but how much does a leg cost. The other thing to factor in is that I surf almost everyday so I wear out wetsuits and I have with the expensive ones too. Usually get a season or two. So thats a consideration pricewise too replacing 2 $1000 wetsuits every 2 years or so. Starting to add up
You really need two suits? I enjoy dry neoprene as much as the next person, but up here a 'wet' wettie is still twenty degrees.
Can certainly see the benefits if you're in the southern states, but even then I wouldn't shell out the coin just to alleviate ten seconds of testicular retreat.
Haha. A wet 4/3 in Winter down here would give you nightmares DK2000
A springy would still help limit damage to the upper arm and thigh which are really hard to tourniquet. Winter/whale migration time seems to be the main risk time up here in the NR so you can wear your steamer then. I wonder if the new material is more durable and longer lasting?
It get it would protect from the tearing of the skin ,,but what about the crushing effect from the powerful jaws of a GW? Does it offer any protection from that type of injury?
As long as the leg keeps blood supply which is the key and stops bleed out before reaching the beach.
but how will emergency services cut you out of the wetsuit ?
Good point. The manufacturers no doubt have shears sharp/tough enough. They may need to do the right thing and give emergency services a heads up.
"Shark Stop has made sure to add access panels made of standard neoprene in low-risk areas of your Shark Stop Bite-Resistant wetsuit to ensure it can quickly and easily be removed in case of an emergency"
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sharkstop/shark-stop-wetsuits/faqs
Thanks Bonza.
Bloody good stuff...good on em. Money well spent i reckon if it's your life as the price. Also, the way i surf, an 80's wetsuit's flexibility will make minimal difference to my performance. (might stop my arms flapping around all over the place).
Great stuff and i'm sure over time the technology will evolve and prices will drop. Get behind em if you can i reckon. Good on ya Haydon and crew. Thanks.
Hate to say it, but can’t see this one getting too far out of the gates. More likely that an existing wetsuit manufacturer could offer current wetsuit models made from this fabric as a custom option. I’d be attempting to ‘sell’ the concept ASAP before one of the major players decide to shut this one down and leave Hayden with Sweet Fuck All !
Definitely onto something though. Those working in the commercial dive or fishery industries would happily shell out an extra couple of hundred for one of these suits I’d have thought?
kidkaos click the link in top of page...First line
Well done Haydon Burford. Thanks very much for the time and effort put towards developing an idea which is of true value to surfers. Pretty hard to overestimate the effects it can have on the surfing experience of some ( many) through having the potential mitigation of the worst outcomes of shark attack reduced.
Bit of a question: Obviously there is no guarantees but I noticed that you’ve said “ What we basically saw was the number of holes, the size of the holes and the depth of the holes was reduced substantially with that new fabric." . I was wondering if you found that failures still occurred? Did your testing find that in some instances the fabric was still ripped to a degree which would render severe lacerations or punctures in a victim?
I’m curious as to the language used. When you say “substantial reduction “ it sounds a bit subjective. I’d really appreciate the opportunity to see the evidence of testing for myself. Is there a video you could provide?
If this is legit it’s a game changer.
A few hundred dollars and a slightly cramped cutback is a small price to pay for the peace of mind the suit would offer, let alone the real protection in the unfortunate case of an attack.
Great concept and product
If the negative effects of the clamping jaws of a large shark is mitigated but not eliminated and the wetsuit is substantially less flexible and more expensive than a current top of the range surfing wetsuit, Mr Burford may want to focus his sales efforts towards the commercial diving community - who would likely welcome his product more than surfers?
Smaller potential market, but better served.
So you’re advising him to focus on the 50 pro ab divers in Australia and ignore the 20,000 surfers who’d love to alleviate their fear of shark attack?
Great advice bloke.
Dunno if it's a smaller market. The WSL (World Scuba League) claimed the recent Middle East Dive and Fish Expo at the Dubai World Trade Center had 'millions of viewers' tuning in from all around the world.
There’s also the obvious cross pollination between board sports , as evidenced by the WSL teeing up a snowboarder’s brand promotion during the most anticipated heat during the Pipe Masters.
The synergies between the two are powerful enough to overcome any lack of sharks in the mountains. Perhaps they should test for resistance to bears?
Couple of (recreational) free diver & spearfisher mates seem pretty excited by it, there's a decent market there.
That Youngbloods Utube fella out of Exmouth needs to Invest in one...... his days are numbered.
Madman.
Some Aust Commercial Divers use IronSkin
https://www.ironskinn.com/
Ironskin looks more like chain mail than a polymer fabric product, but the same concept - mitigation but not elimination of the effects of the bite of a large shark.
I'd consider getting one for recreational diving/spear fishing . If I can surf in that'll be a bonus.
I think those Ironskin ones are more expensive , site says a 'deposit of $1000US' after accepting their custom quote.
Neptunic make chain mail type suits for divers but they range from $5k for stainless steel and up to $25k for titanium according to the link below.
I have the standard blue and white camo for diving. It doesn't make me feel much safer though.
A classic look at some older patents for shark suits , including one with metal spikes.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/chainmail-metal-spikes-and-u...
I cant see it not taking off and they do a dive suit, ive placed an order and a bit more piece of mind around 'shark' season will go a long way .Like everything things will get better and cheaper as im sure competition from the big players will come into.
Probably let the shark know your not good if it bites and struggles to pierce through. Might be enough to stop them having 2nd chomp.
Crushing injury still a problem tho .
So the electrical shark repellant devices never really worked out so well if there's now shark attack rated wetsuits coming out i guess.
Seems like a bargain compared to a white up close and personal.
I see a shark Shield bundle is around $600, too. If I lived in a high-risk area I think I'd have the full kit of shield and wetty and sacrifice a new custom board instead.
Hate to think of the compression from even a small white, though - don't they have a bite force in the thousands of psi depending on size? That's kinda like 100-200kg per square centimetre. Yikes.
people are not dieing from compression they are dieing from blood loss..........rather a broken bone than losing a leg........at least this is a step in the right direction and would be nice if the government cut a deal like they did in wa with shark shield
These wetsuits would be a waste of money for me because I’d die of fright before the big bastard even got close or bite me!Adios Amigos!
I think they're a great idea. If they don't take away too much from performance and they themselves work as the manufacturers claim, then if you surf in sharky waters, I reckon it's a no-brainer.
yep total no-brainer. well done. looking forward to a SN performance review.
Gee, there's a lot of knockers up above! Why doesn't everyone say Kudos to somebody who goes on the front foot with something that is innovative?
Wonder if there's room for an over suit? Like, wear your normal wetty that offers warmth and flexibility, but then slip a slightly looser Shark Stop kit over the top. Maybe just a vest, or maybe just a spring suit, something that covers the main arteries.
Get a shark shield and be done with it. The internal bleeding from a large shark bite comes with its own risks. Better to head them off before they bite.
Shark shields are not great mixing getting zapped with too much weight in the tail of the board and constantly cracking if u stand on them
What a laugh
BURFORD DRAWS BLANK.
Sorry but I'm skeptical. Probably works for a 2-3 metre specimen on the East Coast, but whose wearing a wetty in Ballina? I doubt it would combat the type of pressure associated with the bite of a 4-5 metre 'Pointer' in places like West and South Aus.
Good on them for trying tho and am happy to be proven wrong.
It was tested in S.A. around Neptune islands .
I would love to see this material incorporated into booties. I’ve stepped on an urchin before that has gone through booties, a few layers of this material may have helped!!
Or you could make “socks” that you can walk out over reef with then slip them in your boardies pocket when surfing.
Great idea and good on the guy. As pips said, it's only the start so the product will only get better. About the cost, there were some state rebates in WA for sharkshield (if I remember correctly). So I reckon that could work for this too.
Wonder if there's a hybrid boardshort opportunity for surfers in warm waters?
Bit site depends on mouth size, so lower leg all the way up to torso include arms as well so steel boardies likely of no help IMHO.
Val Taylor was wearing these 40 years ago .... https://images.app.goo.gl/LeRUD47EebRvD5Gu6
Manufacturing starts April 2022
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sharkstop/shark-stop-wetsuits
i have ordered one of these suits but apart from them enquiring about what size i am havent heard boo since.....
Any News on your Suit Simba ?
Important Notice
Due to an overwhelming response with international and dometic orders, all orders taken from October 24th will not be delivered before March 2023.
The lead time for our specialisied fabrics has moved out to 4 months and with a months shipping and customs clearance puts us at 5 months from date of special fabrics order.
Manufacturing times have increased also, we apologise for this but it simply is the way it is at this stage. We trust you understand.
Thank you,
Sharkstop Management
https://sharkstop.co/
I received the suit in november and couldn't get it over my shoulders .So according to Shark stop they are going to do adjustments on those who have issues with there suits at the end of january........at possibly buyers expense which i find weird .....shifting the blame .....took a leap of faith with kick starter which i probably wouldn't do again knowing what i now know. Suit did fit perfectly up until trying to get it over the shoulders where it seems like its not long enough or made for a medium...im a large and have had a lot of different brands in the past with no fitting issues ........in there defence they did have issues with covid and materials but maybe they should have factored that in when advertising for kickstarter. Suit was built tough and very hot when i did try it on, from waste down and felt a little bit rough but thats due to the materials.......cant say any more as yet and i hope they do the right thing and fix it at there expense but factory is flat out doing dive suits and havent the time to fix fukups till end of january .......so it will be a year by the time i get it ..hahaha
Hmm yep i just read this
January 27th Kickstarter Statement:
To ensure speedy delivery of our suits and merchandise, the funds collected have already/will immediately be put towards production and shipping costs. Due to this, we are unable to offer refunds or exchanges for any purchases made through Kickstarter. Please ensure you double-check your measurements before advising us of what size you would like.