WETSUITS THAT SAVE LIVES
A fabric that revolutionizes the wetsuit industry! This has been the goal of Mr. Haydon Burford, the inventor and the Director of Shark Stop Australia Pty Ltd (“Shark Stop”). He has developed an improved shark resistant fabric for use in wetsuits and other similar applications. The shark-proof wetsuit of Shark Stop has been gaining attention in Australia recently and was featured in 7 News Australia, ABC News and Daily Mail Australia amongst others.
The development of the shark resistant composite fabric started as a response to a number of horrendous shark attacks in Australia and worldwide. Previously, a variety of strategies, electronic shark shielding devices, chemical deterrents and other proposals have been made to reduce the risk of shark attack. However, these have had varied but generally limited effectiveness.
In order to address the worrying number of shark bite incidents, Shark Stop has developed a fabric that can withstand the considerable force of a shark bite. The shark resistant composite fabric includes an outer layer of shark bite resistant material, an intermediate layer of neoprene and an inner layer of a shark bite resistant material.
The shark bite resistant material is formed from a woven or knitted layer of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMwPE) material, and may also include fiberglass and/or polyester. In the event of a shark attack, sharks tend to give a first, non-lethal ‘test bite’. Shark Stop has determined that this outer layer material resists or deters the shark’s tooth in the initial ‘test’ bite, which then discourages the shark from continuing the attack via more serious bites.
Franke Hyland has been instrumental in implementing an IP strategy for the protection of Shark Stop’s invention in Australia and overseas, including in the USA, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Spain and South Africa.
