NSW beach reopened after shark attack

The NSW mid north coast beach where a 2.5 metre great white shark attacked a man last week has reopened.

Black Head Beach was closed on Friday afternoon and remained off-limits on Saturday but was on Sunday given the all clear, a Surf Life Saving Australia spokeswoman said.

David Quinlivan, 65, was attacked while paddling on his surf ski north of Forster, on Friday morning.

He was bitten on the leg and knocked off his ski but managed to paddle towards shore where bystanders risked their lives pulling him from the shallows before he was taken to John Hunter Hospital for surgery.

No sharks have been spotted off the coast since the attack, the SLSA spokeswoman said.

Mr Quinlivan is the 13th person to be attacked by a shark in NSW this year after only four attacks in the state in 2014.

There have been 12 attacks in 13 months between Port Macquarie and Byron Bay with Friday's incident occurring about 100km south of Port Macquarie.