Heres what you should do if you see a fin slicing through the water and the theme fromJawsstarts playing.
This is part of Lifehackers Animal Attacks Series.
If you dont want to see fins circling while you surf, its best to stick to safer waters.
Even a small fishing boat will toss dead fish and fish parts, or chum, into the water.
Its also a bad idea to let yourself bleed or urinate in the water for the very same reason.
The idea is that nearby sharks smell their dead friends and decide they dont want to eat you.
Other methods, like theShark Shield, use electromagnetic fields to keep sharks away.
According to Peirce, splashing around wildly is just going to excite the shark and make it more interested.
It doesnt want to eat you, but itmightget curious.
For all the shark knows, you could be a seal or large fish.
If you’re free to put your back to something, like a coral reef, do so.
Sharks are ambush predators and may lose interest if you show that youre aware of its presence.
Curl up into a ball if it looks like its just passing by.
If its making a beeline for you, though, make yourself look as big as possible.
Gently attempt to swim away backwards toward the shore.
A surfboard, boogie board, or flotation equipment will do.
This will startle the shark and may buy you enough time to get out of the water.
As soon as it lets you go, get to shore as fast as possible and seek medical attention.
This article was originally published in August 2016.
It was updated in September 2020 to meet Lifehacker style guidelines.
