The 32-year-old man told authorities he was paddling out at Melbourne Beach along the Atlantic Coast when he put his hand in the water and felt a bite.
His hand was treated by paramedics at the beach, and he didn't need to be taken to a hospital.
University of Florida shark expert George Burgess says the United States has had 30 unprovoked shark attacks, with half of them in Florida.
The surfer was not identified by authorities.
