The ultimate safety measure is to avoid the sea. However, this is not an option. The odds are low that you will encounter a shark while surfing. You might come into contact with one but chances are you will not know that it is there. Great whites can be inquisitive, but are cautious by nature. Usually they will avoid confrontation and swim away, particularly if the so-called prey does not behave as such. To reduce the rare chance of a shark attack, try to follow the following simple rules, which some people might say is not always possible because of the quality of the waves or other factors.

Don’t

◗ surf in murky water near river mouths
◗ surf near a river in flood or where sluice gates have been opened
◗ paddle out with a decomposing seal on your head
◗ piss in your wetsuit
◗ surf with a bleeding wound or when you are menstruating
◗ paddle out before dawn or stay in after sunset
◗ surf alone – great whites in particular are more likely to target a solitary individual as potential prey
◗ surf near where bait or game fish are running or near feeding activity by sea birds
◗ surf near effluent or sewage outlets, or areas used by fishermen
◗ surf in areas with no shark spotters (this will be quite hard, since very few beaches have them)
◗ behave like prey. If you see a shark nearby, don’t squeal like a big girl’s blouse. Sit tight. Stay calm. Eyeball it. Let it know that you know it’s there. Even paddle towards it or dive underwater while facing it. Anecdotal evidence suggests that sharks respond as a predator if the potential prey responds like prey. Standard prey behaviour would be yelping, urinating, splashing in panic or churning up the water in a frantic bid to flee. Behave without fear, and it will treat you as an equal. Easy.

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