In 2013, there were 60 recorded shark attacks that occurred in the United States. While that number isn’t really that large, the amount of people in the U.S. who worry about sharks is a lot higher. There are more than 53 coastal mothers on any beach on any given Saturday with hawk-like eyes as their children run toward the surf, and anything fin-like in open water can be a bit daunting to a potential swimmer.

We’re scared of sharks, and for good reason. The grotesque aftermath of a shark attack that the public sees is hard to forget, and the movie Jaws certainly doesn’t help either.

Nathan Garrison saw a problem with this, and brought his dad, David, on board to assist with his creation, Sharkbanz. It’s a bracelet-type gadget that allegedly deters sharks from taking a nip out of swimmers, surfers, and regular beach-goers.

Sharkbanz’s key is the magnet inside of them. Sharks have extremely acute electromagnetic senses because of an organ located in their noses called the ampullae of Lorenzini. This detects minute electrical fields, which is how sharks can tell when you’re scared, Garrison explained. “They can sense the speed of your heartbeat,” he said. That sense can also be disrupted, which is where the magnet comes in. The magnet disrupts their electromagnetic sensors, causing them to have extremely unpleasant reactions as they gets closer to the magnet, and eventually the sensation becomes unbearable for the sharks.

This research was done in part with SharkDefense, a research team out of New Jersey responsible for discovering the magnetic shark repellent technology. Their focus has mainly been on protecting sharks—not people. They’re now partners with Sharkbanz.

The band becomes detectable to the shark from a few meters away, and as it gets closer, the shark becomes more and more uncomfortable. It all depends on the water, though, Nathan explained. “In clear water they’re going to rely more on their sight, or in murky water they will rely more on their electromagnetic sense,” he said.

For the often murky waters of Charleston, South Carolina, where the Garrisons are from, the Sharkbanz could serve as a safe addition to a surfer’s gear collection. The idea for the product hits close to home for Garrison, as someone who has never lived more than five miles from the ocean. Ten years ago, a friend of his was bit by a shark, and for him the incident made shark attacks feel much more real. “It became clear to me that it’s not about who you are or your physical ability; it comes down to luck and being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

After Garrison had a spook of his own, he decided that was enough, and began brainstorming for Sharkbanz. Three years later, the product is in its final prototype and ready to be ordered.

Roland Enriquez, Creative Director at Jack’s Surfboards in Orange County, California, said he would buy one if it was proven to work, and if the company had done enough testing. “It would have to be tested over time,” he said. “I’d like to see if it would reduce the average attacks per year.”

The bands are only available for pre-order as of now, so word of mouth is currently out as an option for testing. Potential buyers have to rely on the array of videos that Sharkbanz has available on its website. The videos show people doing tests with sleeping sharks reacting to magnets, from behind a blind and without. Each time the shark reacts to the magnet—without touching it—by clearly moving away from it. Sharkbanz describes this as being similar to having a bright light shone in your eyes. It’s unpleasant for the shark, but not harmful.

The bands require a certain amount of care as well, and like all magnets, will never lose its power unless damaged. Garrison recommends rinsing the band with freshwater after use, not leaving it in direct sunlight for too long (think weeks), and storing it in a cool, dry place. “In order to damage it you have to be really aggressive,” he said, “It can withstand pretty rigorous use.”

Donald Buth, a professor of biology at the University of California-Los Angeles, was skeptical about the idea. He explained that sharks have electromagnetic senses so they can find skates and rays, flat fish that hang out on the ocean floor. “They can’t see them, but they can sense their magnetic fields to go and eat them,” Buth said. “I would think electrical fields would be attractive.” He added that it seemed feasible that it may work, based off the TV segment he saw about the product.

At least the price won’t burn a hole in your swim trunks if you want to give it a try—the bands are selling for $39.99 right now, a point that was important to Garrison during production.

As well as trying to provide peace of mind for swimmers, Sharkbanz have an environmental agenda. “We’ve donated a percentage of profits into ocean conservation and the process of shark finning,” Garrison said. Shark finning is popular in Asian countries, where shark fins are cut off and the shark is left to die, and the fins are often used in soup. It’s an unsustainable practice as well, and Garrison knows that spreading awareness is a good way to put a dent in issues like this, but legislation is where the action happens.

“We’re donating to causes that are working to pass legislation on these issues,” Garrison said. As a surfer, he’s a person who loves the ocean and gets a tremendous amount of happiness from it. “We have to do everything we can to protect it,” he said. “I’m tired of not being able to do anything—ultimately you need real legislation and that takes money.”

Garrison is honest about the product, though. He knows there is no 100-percent guarantee against shark attacks, especially sharks like great whites that attack quickly from afar. Sharkbanz aren’t a guaranteed solution, but they add peace of mind for the wearer at an affordable price, with an environmentally-friendly agenda.

Images courtesy of Sharkbanz