A WETSUIT that protects divers and surfers from shark bites has been tested on Great Whites.
Surf shop owner Hayden Burford, of Australia, invented the protective clothing and it launched last month.
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Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide tested the suit on the predator and they hardly made a hole in the material.
A high-tech polymer has been used to make the suit, according to Inertia.
There are different suits for both divers and surfers.
It reduces the severity of the bites and also deters sharks from attacking.
This is because the predators will catch their teeth in the suit's fibers.
Burford said: “You might get a little puncture in your skin and bleed a little bit, but there would be none of the horrendous tearing or ripping (from a shark bite).”
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Shark bites can cause physical, mental, and social consequences, Associate Professor Charlie Huveneers, of Flinders University, said.
Rick Bettua, a former diver for the US Navy, was bitten twice by the predator when spearfishing in North Queensland, Australia in 2020.
He was unconscious when he was pulled to safety and was given 14 bags of blood to save his life.
Bettua said he almost lost his life because he didn’t have a wetsuit.
The new high-tech wetsuit costs around $715.
Burford said: “It’s an expensive product to make, but what’s your leg or your arm worth?”
A number of shark attacks have been reported in the US in recent years.
Heather West was snorkeling in Florida last month when she was mauled by a lemon shark.
The TikToker, who describes herself as a "full-time van lifer", was visiting Dry Tortugas National Park with travelers when they decided to go for a swim.
She claimed she felt a "bad vibe" when swimming and the beast grabbed her foot as she was about to get out of the water.
West said the beast yanked her foot and ripped her underneath the water.
The Tiktoker swore and punched at the beast and called for help.
The shark eventually let go of her foot and West was brought back to shore, but was left requiring medical treatment.
And, Thomas Butterfield, 42, was killed by a great white shark on Christmas Eve.
He had been visiting his mom in California when the fatal attack happened off the coast of Morro Strand State beach.
His uncle Grant told the Los Angeles Times: “It’s a terrible loss, at 42, with him getting his stuff together and starting to make something of himself.
"[The family is] going to do OK ... but even at that, it’s a tough time holding it together.”
A woman spotted a bodyboard bobbing near a surfing spot and paddled towards it before making the discovery.
It’s unclear if anyone saw the fatal attack.
Robin Warren, 56, was killed by a tiger shark when he was surfing in Maui, Hawaii in December 2020.
And, Julie Holowach was killed around 20 yards from the shore when swimming with her daughter in Maine.
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