Australia introduces swimwear against shark bites

The Shark Stop thermal bathing suit is made from very strong materials, which can resist cuts, punctures and limit injuries, thereby reducing blood loss.

Shark Stop thermal swimwear can prevent shark bites.

Australian company Shark Stop introduced a thermal swimwear with the ability to prevent shark bites, Mail on January 25 reported. The suit's material is made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene nanofibers, designed to be used in conjunction with traditional neoprene rubber materials. According to Shark Stop, the new material not only has good puncture, cut and abrasion resistance, but also has a strength-to-weight ratio that is 50% higher than Kevlar fiber and 8 - 15 times more than steel. It has been used in items such as bullet shields.

Flinders University tested the new material with great white sharks off the Neptune Islands, South Australia, with good results. "The material is incredibly strong, and at the same time very light and unaffected by water," said Associate Professor Charlie Huveneers, leader of the Southern Shark Ecology group.

Huveneers' research results were published in a scientific journal in 2019. He also said that the new material was developed with the aim of resisting cuts and punctures, limiting wounds, thereby reducing blood loss - The leading cause of death in shark attacks.

There is a growing need to reduce the risk from sharks, while at the same time not harming them. "Shark bites can have serious physical, mental, social and economic consequences. It is therefore imperative to continue to develop new methods to reduce the risk of shark bites and ensure effectiveness. theirs is important," said Huvaneers.

With the Shark Stop thermal swimwear, new panels are combined with bio-neoprene material in areas of the body commonly injured by shark bites, such as around the femoral artery. The new product is not much heavier than a traditional neoprene thermal swimsuit, while still being quite flexible.