Sorry about that. I re-read and realized I didn’t explain myself.
We were wading more than swimming. During our trek across the inlets, we were regularly in knee- to waist-deep water and shuffling our feet (Stingray Shuffle). Rustling up all that sand under the water and simply walking through the water without haste makes the environment around you uncomfortable for the sharks. They try to avoid all that sand if possible, and when they’re around and you’re forced to actually swim, they recommend slow, deliberate strokes and as little splashing as possible.
Like I said, I’ve been in the water with sharks plenty of times, and unless you’re positioned to look like some sort of food, they don’t bother humans. The only incident I had was with a nurse shark biting my water shoe, but a reflexive kick to the snout sent it darting away.
I’d say that approach works every time, right up until the time it doesn’t. Sharks are nothing if not unpredictable.