A man has been hospitalised after being bitten by a shark at a beach south of Sydney.

New South Wales Police said in a statement today that emergency services were called to Seven Mile Beach at Gerroa, south of Wollongong, about 1pm following reports of a shark attack.

Lake Illawarra police officers arrived to find a 24-year-old man from Sydney, who had been participating in a surf lesson, with "significant lacerations" to his right leg and a puncture wound to his hand.

Seven Mile Beach at Gerroa, south of Wollongong in NSW, has been closed after a man was attacked by a shark. (9NEWS)

The 24-year-old man was learning to surf when he was bitten by the shark, and has since been flown to hospital with hand and leg puncture wound injuries. (9NEWS)

He has since been airlifted to St George Hospital in a stable condition for treatment for infections from the puncture injuries.

Inspector Jordan Emery, the duyt operations manager for NSW Ambulance, today told reporters the man had been wading in waist-deep water when he felt "a significant force and lashing against his legs".

"At no time was a shark cited, but certainly based on the circumstances around the incident and the injuries that have been sustained, it would appea that this is shark attack," he said.

The man remains at St George Hospital in Sydney while he receives treatment for possible infection from the puncture wounds. (9NEWS)

The incident marks the eighth shark attack around Australia since September in a recent spate of encounters that has sparked emergency government discussions on how to deal with the matter. (9NEWS)

"He's quite stable. He's very lucky first aid was provided quite successfully by bystanders on the scene prior to the arrival of ambulance paramedics.

"Throughout the incident the patient was conscious and his vital signs were quite stable, though the injuries were still quite significant."

Seven Mile Beach has also been closed in light of the attack and beachgoers have been urged to follow local safety advice.

NSW Ambulance Inspector Jordan Emery said the man is 'lucky' that bystanders were able to render first aid assistance to the man so quickly. (9NEWS)

The incident comes as the eighth serious shark attack around the country since September - most of which occurred in either Queensland or NSW.

This week, a fisherman on a kayak was attacked by a 4.5-metre tiger shark off Moffat Beach on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Kyle Roberts, 31, from Currimundi near Caloundra was about one-and-a-half kilometres off the coast of the beach when the shark knocked him from the vessel and into the water.

(9NEWS)

When the shark let go of the kayak, Mr Roberts managed to turn the vessel back up the right way, clamber back inside and radio for help.

The shark circled the kayak for a short time before swimming away.

An urgent meeting was held last week in Queensland to address the spate of attacks, after three of the incidents occurred in the Cid Harbour in the Whitsundays Islands.