⚠ Official Sharkbanz Advisory
The Facts About Sharkbanz Technology
Addressing common myths, debunking flawed tests, and protecting you from dangerous counterfeit shark deterrent products.
Why This Page Exists
When it comes to shark safety, misinformation isn't just misleading — it's dangerous.
Sharkbanz has spent over a decade building the world's leading magnetic shark deterrent technology, backed by peer-reviewed research, government field studies, and real-world validation from over 200,000 users worldwide.
As our technology has grown, so has the spread of misinformation — from viral videos with flawed methodologies, to studies designed outside our product's working parameters, to counterfeit products on Amazon that create a false sense of security. This information sets the record straight — providing everyone a clear and honest resource on our products and technology.
Myth vs. Fact
"Do Sharkbanz Attract Sharks?"
No. This is physically impossible.
The magnetic field created by Sharkbanz follows the inverse cube law — field strength drops exponentially with distance. At 10 feet, it's undetectable by even the most sensitive lab equipment.
Sharks detect electric fields through their ampullae of Lorenzini, their highly developed sensory organs used to navigate and hunt especially during the final, short-range stages of prey identification. A shark at distance uses vision, smell, and lateral line detection — not electroreception.
The short-range electric field created by Sharkbanz technology is designed to overwhelm a shark's electric sense. Marine biologists compare this deterrent effect to a bright light flash in your eyes within a dark room. This unpleasant sensation does not harm you (or a shark) but it causes a person (or a shark in this case) to turn away.
Honest Transparency
Can Sharkbanz Prevent Great White Attacks?
For investigative encounters — yes, the science supports it. Peer-reviewed research confirms magnetic fields elicit avoidance in White Sharks (C. Carcharias). Dozens of customer accounts describe successful deterrence of investigative Great Whites in Australia, California, South Africa, and Cape Cod.
For high-speed ambush attacks — no product on Earth can. Great Whites are the only shark species that hunts via ambush, attacking from distance at extreme speed. No deterrent device — magnetic, electric, or otherwise — can reliably stop this behavior.
We believe honesty about limitations builds more trust than false guarantees. If a company claims their product prevents all Great White attacks, that should raise a red flag.
Research & Media Analysis
Why Some "Tests" Appear to Show Sharkbanz Doesn't Work
Various online videos and one frequently cited great white research study (Huveneers, 2018) are sometimes referenced by skeptics and previous competitors. When you examine what actually occured in this study and/or casual user product experiments, the picture changes entirely.
The 2018 Flinders University Study (Huveneers et al.)
Tested five deterrent products exclusively on Great White Sharks at Neptune Islands, South Australia, using fish oil and tuna to attract sharks to surfboard replicas.
Sharkbanz is worn on the ankle, projecting a deterrent field for the surfer to reduce the risk. The Flinders / Huveneers (2018) study strapped products to a static board with 2kg of tuna bait hanging 30 cm below — a fundamentally different and unrealistic scenario. [Study illustration: René Campbell, Flinders University (Huveneers et al., 2018]
Wrong species for the product's use case
Sharkbanz has always disclosed that Great White ambush behavior is outside its working parameters. Testing exclusively against the one species noted as a limitation, then concluding the product "failed," is like testing a bike helmet in a car crash.
Bait overrides electroreception
Researchers lured sharks with fish oil and tuna — creating a visible food motivation. Sharkbanz deters investigative approaches, not active feeding. Sharks have a sensory hierarchy and override electroreceptive discomfort when food is visible.
Open-ocean, not coastal environment
Neptune Islands are a deep-water aggregation site — not the shallow, murky coastal waters where the vast majority of shark-human encounters occur and where sharks rely most on electroreception to identify potential prey.
Even the "winner" mostly failed
The Ocean Guardian Freedom+ Surf — the only product deemed effective — still let sharks take the bait 40% of the time. Its own CEO described the conditions as "effectively surfing on top of a dead whale." The test measured extremity, not reality.
Viral "Shark Deterrent Test" Videos
Videos showing Sharkbanz strapped to bait lowered into shark-filled water routinely go viral. Here's what these homegrown "experiments" actually demonstrate:
Left: Sharkbanz tested as designed — worn on the ankle during surf use, and attached to an active fishing line with live bait in open water. Right: Common homegrown "test" failures — a stationary fish head with the product strapped to it, and visible bait on a rope with a conditioned nurse shark — conditions that bear no resemblance to real-world product use and do not constitute valid testing methodology.
What Properly Controlled Testing Shows
Bull Shark interactions in Bimini study with zero attacks while wearing Sharkbanz
More likely to display avoidance behavior vs. control (verified by Coastal Carolina University)
Direct interactions in single 14-min extreme trial — zero bites. Attacked within seconds without.
Predatory species with documented avoidance behavior including Bull, Hammerhead, and White Sharks
⚠️ CONSUMER SAFETY ALERT — Counterfeit magnetic shark deterrent products are being sold online
Counterfeit & Scam Alert
Fake Shark Deterrents Are Dangerous
Unlike counterfeit clothing, a counterfeit safety device creates a false sense of security in the ocean. Users who trust these unproven products may take risks they otherwise wouldn't — putting themselves and their families in danger.
ATTENTION: All counterfeit Sharkbanz products tested do NOT contain effective shark deterrent technology and typically even basic magnets are not present.
✓ Authentic Sharkbanz
✗ Counterfeit Products
Spotting Counterfeits on Amazon
Multiple Amazon sellers market "magnetic shark deterrent" bands at prices ranging from $18–$95. These products feature similar colors, similar marketing language, and product descriptions designed to confuse consumers.
Red flags: Prices significantly below $138, vague scientific claims with no research links, brand names designed to sound similar, and product listings that reference "shark deterrent technology" without specifying what that technology is or who validated it. Minimal reviews compared to 1,000+ by Sharkbanz products.
How to Verify You're Buying Authentic Sharkbanz
Buy Direct
The only guaranteed source is sharkbanz.com or an authorized retailer listed on our Store Locator page.
Check the Brand
Our products are sold under "Sharkbanz" and "FCS x Sharkbanz POD." Any other brand name is not our technology.
Look for Research
Authentic Sharkbanz links to published, peer-reviewed research. If a listing has no research links, it's not backed by science.
Contact Us
Unsure? Email support@sharkbanz.com — we're happy to confirm whether any product is genuine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shark Safety & Deterrent Technology
Can't find your answer here? Visit our full FAQ page — we've covered nearly every question about Sharkbanz technology, products, and orders.
No. The magnetic field follows the inverse cube law and is undetectable beyond 10 feet — even by laboratory equipment. Sharks detect electric fields through their ampullae of Lorenzini at very close range only (inches to a few feet), during final prey identification. A shark cannot be attracted by a field it is biologically incapable of sensing at distance. Multiple peer-reviewed studies spanning two decades confirm the deterrent — not attractive — effect.
For investigative encounters where a Great White is slowly approaching — yes, research and customer accounts support effective deterrence. For high-speed ambush attacks — which are the Great White's signature hunting behavior when targeting seals — no deterrent device of any kind can reliably prevent this. This applies to all products on the market, including electric deterrents. Sharkbanz reduces risk, like a seatbelt. It does not eliminate it.
Yes. The science of using permanent magnets to deter sharks has been studied since 2004 and is supported by numerous peer-reviewed publications. Sharks and rays possess electroreceptive organs that are overstimulated by the fields generated through electromagnetic induction from powerful permanent magnets. Sharkbanz technology has been validated by the Western Australian Government (DPIRD), NOAA researchers, Coastal Carolina University, and independent marine biologists at Shark Defense Technologies.
Sharkbanz technology has demonstrated avoidance behavior in over 10 predatory species: Bull Shark, Hammerhead (Great and Scalloped), White Shark, Blacktip, Australian Blacktip, Lemon, Sandbar, Grey Reef, Milk, Speartooth, and juvenile Tiger Sharks. Research is ongoing with additional species and scenarios.
No. That study (Huveneers et al.) tested five products exclusively on Great White Sharks at Neptune Islands using fish bait to attract sharks — a feeding-motivated, open-ocean scenario that is fundamentally different from the investigative coastal encounters Sharkbanz is designed for. Sharkbanz has always disclosed that Great White ambush behavior is outside its working parameters. Notably, even the study's best performer (Ocean Guardian Freedom+ Surf) failed 40% of the time in these extreme conditions. Sharkbanz is validated by properly designed tests on Bull Sharks, Hammerheads, Blacktips, and more — confirmed by the WA Government, NOAA, and Coastal Carolina University.
These videos typically strap Sharkbanz to visible bait and lower it into groups of feeding sharks. When sharks eat the bait, they declare the product a failure. This tests whether Sharkbanz prevents sharks from eating food — which it was never designed to do. These are uncontrolled experiments with no scientific methodology, and some have been traced to marketing affiliates of competing products. In Sharkbanz's controlled Bull Shark study, 1,200+ interactions were recorded with zero attacks while wearing the device.
Ask four questions: (1) What species was tested — products for coastal species shouldn't be judged on extreme Great White scenarios alone; (2) Was bait used to override natural behavior — feeding sharks behave differently than investigative ones; (3) Was the environment realistic — open-ocean chum sites are not comparable to shallow coastal encounters; (4) Who produced the content — competing products have financial incentives to discredit alternatives.
No method guarantees protection, but combining smart practices significantly reduces risk: avoid swimming at dawn, dusk, or night; stay away from active fishing areas, seal colonies, and river mouths; swim in groups; avoid high-contrast or shiny items; stay calm and avoid erratic splashing; and use a proven shark deterrent like Sharkbanz. Visit our full Shark Safety Guide for a comprehensive breakdown of risk-reduction strategies.
Sharkbanz targets the electroreceptive system found exclusively in elasmobranchs (sharks and rays). Dolphins, sea turtles, bony fish, and all other marine animals lack these organs and are unaffected. Sharkbanz does not harm sharks — it creates a temporary uncomfortable sensation that encourages them to move away.
Sharkbanz uses permanent magnets requiring no batteries, charging, or maintenance — it's always on. Electric deterrents require power sources, regular charging, and can have reliability and depth-rating issues. Sharkbanz's passive magnetic approach is designed for simplicity: put it on, and it works. Every time.
Sharkbanz does not: guarantee zero shark interactions (no product can); act as a full-body force field (effective range is ~3–6 ft per unit); prevent high-speed ambush attacks from Great Whites; deter sharks from eating visible bait or catch; or replace smart ocean safety awareness. We encourage wearing multiple units for increased coverage, especially in areas with higher shark populations.
No. Counterfeit and copycat magnetic shark deterrent products are widely sold online — often on Amazon — at prices ranging from $18–$55. These products carry no published research, no peer review, no government or university validation, and use unproven magnetic configurations. Unlike counterfeit clothing, a counterfeit safety device creates a false sense of security in the ocean. Users who trust these unproven products may take risks they otherwise wouldn't — putting themselves and their families in real danger. Only purchase from sharkbanz.com or an authorized retailer. If a listing provides no research links and no credible third-party validation, it is not backed by science.
Trust the Science. Trust the Original.
For over a decade, Sharkbanz has been the leader in magnetic shark deterrent technology — the most researched and validated line of magnetic deterrent products. Reduce the risk for yourself and your family with the real thing, backed by real science.
