Originally Posted by
Legswideopen
How to survive
1Remain calm. While you want to get out of water quickly if a shark attacks, you cannot out swim a shark, and simply trying to sprint to safety may not be your best option. It's important to keep your wits about you so you can continuously appraise the situation and figure out how to get to safety.
2
A shark and two swimmers Keep your eye on the shark at all times. Sharks may retreat temporarily and then try to sneak up on you. Don't let this happen. To be able to defend against the shark, you must know where it is, so make every effort to watch the animal, even as you're trying to escape.
3Get into a defensive position. If you can't get out of the water right away, try to reduce the shark's possible angles of attack. If you're diving, back up against a reef, piling, or rock outcropping--any solid obstruction – so that you only have to defend attacks in front of you. If you're diving near the shore, you may need to descend to find cover. In open water, get back-to-back with another swimmer or diver so that you can see, and defend against, an attack from any direction. Gradually surface together to get back to the boat.
4Fight. Playing dead won't deter an aggressive shark. Your best bet if attacked is to make the shark see you as a strong, credible threat. Usually, a hard blow to the shark's gills or eyes will cause it to retreat. These are really the only vulnerable areas on a shark. If a shark continues to attack, or if it has you in its mouth, hit these areas repeatedly with hard jabs, and claw at the eyes and gills.
If you have a speargun or pole, use it! Aim for the head, specifically the eyes or the gills.
If you don't have a weapon, improvise. Use any inanimate object, such as a camera or a rock to ward off the shark.
If you have nothing around you, use your own body. Aim for the shark's eyes, gills, or snout with your fists, elbows, knees, and feet.
5Get out of the water. While there are a number of things you can do to ward off a shark attack, you're not truly safe until you're out of the water. Your goal should always be to get back to shore or back on the boat.
If a boat is nearby, call out calmly, but loudly, for them to come to you. Stay as still as possible while waiting--as long as the shark is not actively attacking you--and get into the boat as quickly as possible once the boat reaches you.
If you are near shore, swim quickly, but smoothly. Thrashing will attract the shark's attention. Erratic movements help also give the appearance that you are wounded, and a wounded animal is more attractive prey to a shark. Use the smooth reverse breast stroke. This will reduce splashing.
6Get medical attention. If you've been bitten, get treatment as soon as possible. Massive blood loss will occur, depending on where you've been bitten, so immediately take appropriate steps to stop the bleeding. Even if your wounds appear minor, it's essential to get yourself checked out.