A surfer was lucky to escape with a superficial scratch on his back, a torn wetsuit and teeth marks in his board when he was attacked by a shark on Tuesday off an Australian beach.

Marcel Brundler, 37, estimated the shark that grabbed his board was a 3-metre (10-foot) Great White shark. He was surfing at Cathedral Rock, near Lorne 140km southwest of the Victoria state capital, Melbourne.

Mr Bundler said he punched the shark before making his escape by catching a wave.