# Shark bites and surfboards **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2000, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shark-bites-and-surfboards/44727 "2000-12-09T03:22:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Clayfighter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee59a6/32.png) [@Clayfighter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clayfighter)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shark-bites-and-surfboards/44727/1 "2000-12-09T03:22:41Z")
Probably the stupidest question of the year 2000, but…can a shark bite through a surfboard? I’ve read somewhere that the pps of a human’s bite is greater than that of a shark’s. Thnak you in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/779978/32.png) [@Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zumba_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shark-bites-and-surfboards/44727/2 "2000-12-09T04:00:37Z")
[About Great White Shark Attacks Victim stories photo gallery of Bull,Tiger Attack on Divers & swimmers](http://www.sharkattacks.com/rightframe.htm) has a picture of a surf board bitten through by a shark. You have to click on the victim’s gallary link. I don’t want to post the direct link because there are some pretty yucky pictures there. Definately one gallary I don’t want my photo in. And, according to this site [http://scuba.about.com/recreation/scuba/library/weekly/aa121597.htm](http://scuba.about.com/recreation/scuba/library/weekly/aa121597.htm) “Sharks can generate about six and a half tons per square inch of biting force.” I don’t know for sure, but I doubt I can do that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shark-bites-and-surfboards/44727/3 "2000-12-09T04:07:05Z")
[http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/Shark\_chomps\_long\_surfboard\_in\_half.html](http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/Shark_chomps_long_surfboard_in_half.html) Did it actually bite through the board? I don’t know but I recall seeing TV footage of half the boeard washed up on the beach and it looked more broken than bitten through. Can a shark bite harder than a person? [http://www.elasmo.com/martin/bite.html](http://www.elasmo.com/martin/bite.html) Not real clear is it? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shark-bites-and-surfboards/44727/4 "2000-12-09T04:16:17Z")
Surfboards are simply foam covered in a thin layer of fiberglass. Most people with healthy teeth could leave a clear bite mark on one, if not actually bite off a piece. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shark-bites-and-surfboards/44727/5 "2000-12-09T04:47:34Z")
Shark teeth can also be a lot sharper than human teeth. If they’re serrated teeth, they can do even more damage. If sharks can bite through people, then they can certainly take out surfboards. ---
**Author:** ![sunrise\_4836](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@sunrise\_4836](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunrise_4836)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2000, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shark-bites-and-surfboards/44727/6 "2000-12-09T16:58:06Z")
I live in Florida and most certainly sharks can bite through boards. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shark-bites-and-surfboards/44727/7 "2000-12-10T00:04:25Z")
Not only can they bite thru the board but they can bite thru the board & the surfer at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![rngadam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/97f17d/32.png) [@rngadam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rngadam)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2000, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shark-bites-and-surfboards/44727/8 "2000-12-10T00:23:34Z")
Am I the only one that is surprised to find a quite disgusting victims gallery on the same web site that has a “Save the Great White Shark”?! Ok, I agree that number of humans vs number of sharks killed is very small, but it’s not very convincing 😉