Wollongong researchers working to create shark-deterrent surfboard fins
Marc in het Panhuis is leading the team making shark-deterrent surfboard fins. (ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale)
In short:
Researchers from the University of Wollongong are working to fit shark-deterrent technology into surfboard fins following recent shark attacks.
Shark attack survivor Brett Connellan has welcomed the project, saying it could help sharks and surfers co-exist.
What's next?
Researchers are hoping to deliver prototypes by the end of this year before they are commercially produced.
Surfboard fins fitted with shark-deterrent technology are being developed in NSW to help reduce deadly shark encounters.
A $2.5 million research project by the University of Wollongong (UOW), in partnership with the UNSW and Gowing Bros, is working to design and manufacture the product in the wake of recent shark attacks.
Four non-fatal shark bites were recorded in January along the NSW coastline within 48 hours, sparking the closure of dozens of beaches.
The smart surfboard fins will be embedded with electromagnetic systems, miniaturised sensors and illumination features. (ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale)
"This is an industry response to shark attacks in Australia over the past 12 months," UOW Surf Flex Lab lead Marc in het Panhuis said.
The project, co-funded by the Australian Composites Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre, aims to incorporate established technologies designed to inhibit a shark's ability to detect and attack humans.
Professor in het Panhuis said the fins will be made with 3D-printed composite material embedded with electronic devices, including an electromagnetic system.
Electromagnetism targets a shark's highly sensitive electro-sensory system located on its nose by causing sensory overload that results in discomfort and involuntary muscle spasms, often prompting the animal to turn away.
"By putting an electric field in the fins, that creates a field around surfboards that can confuse the sharks rather than attract them,"Professor in het Panhuis said.
One of the biggest challenges so far had been working out how to combine each smart device within a fin that could be attached to various surfboards.
Originally from the Netherlands, Marc in het Panhuis says his career in surf science emerged from his "hopeless love" of the sport. (ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale)
"[Surfboard fins] usually weigh up to 100 grams, so there's not a lot of space involved," Professor in het Panhuis said.
"We're also trying to put performance measurements in there that allows … you to track how fast you are going and how critical your turn."
Potential game changer, says survivor
Shark attack survivor turned motivational speaker Brett Connellan said if the technology worked, it could allow surfers and sharks to safely co-exist in the water.
"I don't have any hate towards sharks, and I'd love to see a world in which people can learn to co-exist," he said.
"Technology like this, I think, is a great step in the right direction to give people the confidence that if they do go to the beach, they can either make a choice themselves as to the risks they are going to take."
Brett Connellan lost three-quarters of his left quad, was minutes from death, and was told he might never walk again. (Supplied: Sam Tolhurst)
Surgeons managed to reconstruct Mr Connellan's thigh by transplanting part of his back muscle to replace the lost quadricep after a great white shark bit his leg at Bombo Beach 10 years ago.
The Berry local has since learnt to walk and surf again.
"Having that peace of mind that you are doing that extra 'turning the odds in your favour' if you will is something I could get behind, and I hope a lot of other surfers could as well," he said.
"As long as the fins are made of, in most cases fibreglass … I can't see too many issues as far as performance arising."
Brett Connellan has previously helped Marc in het Panhuis with his work on 3D-printed surfboard fins. (Supplied: Sam Tolhurst)
Ocean, shark testing
The hope is to eventually manufacture and sell the smart fins as a shark-safe product following testing.
Professor in het Panhuis said it would start with trialling the fins and surfboards in the ocean.
Later stages could involve trials in the presence of marine animals, but only where justified and under strict ethical oversight.
Any testing involving surfers would require approval through the UOW’s human research ethics processes, while trials involving marine life would also require clearance from the relevant animal ethics committee.
Director of Flinders University Marine and Coastal Research Consortium Charlie Huveneers said any new shark-attack mitigation measure was welcome and added to a growing pool of personal shark deterrents.
Charlie Huveneers is testing the efficacy of shark bite mitigation measures. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
But Professor Huveneers said he would prefer the new fins be tested "with potentially dangerous sharks to determine how much it can reduce shark bites".
"A few personal deterrents have been scientifically and independently tested on large predatory sharks," he said.
"While electric deterrents were the most effective by far, not all electric deterrents are equal, and some electric fields do not affect shark behaviour sufficiently to reduce the risk of shark bites."
Broader marine safety application
Professor in het Panhuis said the project was not just about creating smart surfboard fins.
"The bigger vision is that this technology can be applied much more broadly — not just to surfboards, but to other watercraft, diving equipment, and surf rescue systems," he said.
"Current NSW SharkSmart measures like drones, tagging and drum lines are about detecting and managing sharks at a beach or regional level.
"What we're developing sits alongside that as an additional layer of safety at the individual level."
UOW Surf Flex Lab has previously embedded shark-deterrent technology inside surfboards, but is now trying to replicate that in fins. (ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale)
A NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokesperson said in addition to its 2025–26 shark management program, it has funded research exploring the effectiveness of personal deterrents and published those findings in a Fact Sheet.
"The department recommends that surfers and swimmers consider using independently, scientifically tested personal deterrents," a spokesperson said.
"Other personal deterrents will be added to the fact sheet if they are determined to be effective by appropriate scientific studies."