A surfer had a terrifying encounter with what is believed to be a great white shark at a popular beach.

Local father Brad Ross was out surfing at Cabarita Beach, on the NSW coast, on Monday morning just after 8am when the shark approached and took a large bite out of his board.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Shark attack on Cabarita Beach

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He said he was sitting on it at the time.

Witnesses reported seeing thrashing in the surf, but didn’t immediately realise what had happened.

“Just looked like a little explosion in the wave, was strange ... seen his board snap ... then saw the fins swimming away,” surfer Scott Fletcher told 7NEWS.

“It looked like a big shark.”

Brad managed to paddle back to shore with his board broken in two.

Speaking exclusively to 7NEWS, Brad said, he is still in shock and feeling incredibly lucky.

He miraculously walked away with only a few scratches and bruises to his leg.

Another witness, Grace Shaw, said, “It’s just grazed his leg, mouth has just gone over his thigh and like got the board”.

Eleven-time World Surfing Champion Kelly Slater weighed in on the incident.

“Incredible he is OK. Great example, of why I fear open ocean swimming so much, Surfboards have saved quite a few surfers with that tiny barrier.”

A drone captured footage shortly after the incident showing what is believed to be a juvenile Great White shark measuring up to three metres.

This is the same popular surf spot just south of the Queensland/New South Wales border where a teenager was mauled by a likely bull shark, suffering serious injuries.

Lifeguards closed the beach on Monday morning, but despite the warnings, several surfers remained in the water throughout the day.