A Florida surfer is vowing to return to the waves after being bitten by a shark in a county deemed “the shark bite capital of the world.”

Volusia County Beach Safety confirmed to Fox News Digital that Matthew Bender, 40, of Winter Park, Florida, was surfing at the popular but notoriously shark-prone waters of New Smyrna Beach on Sunday, July 6, when a shark latched onto his arm.

“I felt it clamp down like a bear trap out of nowhere,” Bender told Fox News affiliate, WOFL-TV, from his hospital bed. “By the time I looked down, it was already gone. I never saw the shark, but it bit really forcefully. 

“It felt like electricity – pressure, extreme pressure – and then I think it shook its head as it let go. It was so fast,” he said.

The recovery ahead may be long, and the resulting scar will be permanent.

“I don’t know if it’ll be the cool ones that chicks dig, but it might be ugly,” he joked. 

Matthew Bender, 40, said he’s excited to fully recover and head back out to the surf following his shark attack. (WOFL-TV)

The longtime surfer is eager to return to the waves, with doctors expecting Bender to make a full recovery within months.

“I think the Lord kept it from being serious. He works in mysterious ways,” Bender said. “I got to take a little break, but I’ll be back out there. I’m a New Smyrna surfer at heart, and it’s not going to end now just because of this.”

Authorities have not confirmed the type or size of the shark involved.