The Best Beach Accessory Is Officially Shark Week–Approved

Shark Week 2016 is finally upon us—and our minds are already wading into worst-case-scenario territory, thanks to Blake Lively’s new thriller, The Shallows, in which her character is stalked for the film’s near-entirety by a Jaws-angsty great white during what was intended to be a relaxing surf trip to Mexico. So naturally, when a line of wearable bracelets entitled Sharkbanz—which promises to deter curious sharks from “hit and run” attacks that are most common to surfers and swimmers—came across our desks at the Vogue offices, we paid attention.

Sharks notoriously possess seven senses to our human five, and one of their distinctive additions includes electroreceptors that help them to “see” what’s around them, allowing them to judge the distance, size, and even heartbeat of their prey in murky waters. Capitalizing on this primal instinct, Sharkbanz’s technology uses strong permanent magnets that disrupt these electrical sensors and stun sharks momentarily—similar to having a glaring white light shined in your eyes. Unfortunately for Lively, it won’t stop a great white attacking at full speed from a long distance, but it could prevent a grazing bull shark from mistaking your leg for an aquatic delight.

The Sharkbanz team, helmed by father-son creators David and Nathan Garrison (who created the device after Nathan’s friend was bitten at age 15 while surfing), has also filmed a series of videos that depict a dummy placed on a surfboard, one Sharkbanz-bedecked leg submerged in baited water, with bull sharks approaching up to a foot away, then darting quickly in another direction to avoid an unseen force. Even when the actual leg is baited, no sharks are tempted to advance, though once the wearable band is removed, they immediately seize the opportunity to shred the dummy’s classic swim look of socks and khakis.

According to the company, the technology doesn’t harm sharks long-term, it only creates an area of space that the animals prefers to avoid. Simply strap the device to your hand or ankle (or try one of the Shark Leashes for your board) and continue ripping waves as usual. Similar to a Fitbit tracker, it resembles a chunky watch, arriving in bright blue, neon aquamarine, and black incarnations that double as stackable summer accessories. Bonus: Sharkbanz doesn’t require batteries or chemicals to function properly in the water. And the more bands you wear—and the more people wearing bands in the water around you—means the larger the area of protection. As cofounder David Garrison advises, “One helps—two is better.”

 

The post The Best Beach Accessory Is Officially Shark Week–Approved appeared first on Vogue.