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October 14, 2025 3 mins

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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Well, this guy's responsible for testing the new wet suit
that is shark proof apparently, so we've got to talk
to him it. Professor Charlie Hooping is, good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Thank you so much for having me. We actually didn't
create this wet suit. We've been working with manufacturers and
with the New Southwors government to test the product that
manufacturers have created.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Okay, so they work, they.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Do, actually, and in a way I was a bit
surprised because when I was first talking about this new
bite resistant material, I must admit I was a bit
dubious about the ability of material to resist the bite
of a large sharks like a fore fart me to
white sharks. But to my surprise, when we start doing
the testing, we did realize that it was actually able

(00:45):
to reduce damages and injuries even from very large sharks
like a white shark.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
The teeth are one thing, right, but the pressure of
the bite is another thing, and I would imagine that
could still badly injure someone even if the shark didn't
have teeth. In does the suit help against that pressure
as well?

Speaker 2 (01:00):
The material was never designed or obviously cannot reduce crushing
injuries or borne breakages, so what we found is and
if you talk to medical doctors, you'll see that most
of the major injuries, the injuries that are actually leading
to fatality and death is not the crushing injuries, but
it is laceration, tissue loss, limb loss, or even just

(01:23):
blood loss, and that's what's actually causing the fatalities.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Okay, and so how did you testimony?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Who were the people? What have it? Well, we didn't
obviously get into volunteers to be able to do that.
So what we did instead is used a very simple
small board with a piece of firm that replicated tissue
of humans, and then a pouch of that new neoprene,
a new material around that form and boards, and we

(01:49):
entire the sharks to bite that board, and we then
compare the damage on that neoprene and the firm to
what would normally incur with normal standard neil print. And
we're also in shore to make to do that testing
on large sharks, so it's not just a two or
three meters wide or tiger sharks. We were doing the
testing on four meter plus individuals. Even though tiger sharks

(02:11):
can break through a turtle shell. In terms of the
damage to the nail prene and the foam underneath it.
It was extensively reduced by that new material.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
And so when do you think we'll be able to
get our hands on this and start using it and
wearing it.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Out of the four materials we tested, two of them
are already commercially available and can already order wetsuits that
incorporates that bide resistance, nail prene or material.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
So if this becomes common, like if people will get
onto this and it's almost like a must have for
surface right around Australia, are we envisaging better results regarding fatalities.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Yeah, that's the idea is that by wearing these material
these type of wet suits, the injuries would be extensively
reduced and therefore fatalities would also be reduced. Obviously, in
the case of this wetsuit, there's still going to be
some injury, is the result from it. It reduces the
severe and critical injuries, but you're still going to have
some small punctures and maybe some small laceration, but nothing

(03:09):
compared to what you would have had if you weren't wearing.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
Look, we've got to say quite often with our servicemen,
we say thanks for your service. We've got to say
thanks for your service because us swimming in the ocean
is one of our favorite things here in Australia and
it just makes us a little bit happier about doing it.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
No, thank you, well done on your work.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Thank you very much.
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