The man was surfing at Bombo Beach at Kiama, near Wollongong, south of Sydney, shortly after 7pm on Wednesday when he was attacked about 100m from the shore.
A friend in the water with him was alerted to the attack when he heard screaming, the Illawarra Mercury reported.
One of the paramedics tending to the man, who was treated for pain and blood loss, said he was 'missing three quarters of his thigh', according to the Mercury.
Ambulance NSW Illawarra district officer Inspector Terry Morrow told the newspaper the man could have bled to death, and the actions of onlookers had saved his life.
They had placed a tourniquet around the man's leg to staunch the flow of blood.
'He had lost a large proportion of his left thigh, and the quad muscle was torn away right down to the bone.'
A police statement said a friend helped the Kiama Downs backed man to the shore before alerting emergency services, who treated him for leg and hand injuries before he was flown to St George Hospital in a serious condition.
The surfer told police he didn't see the shark during the attack.
Lake Illawarra Local Area Command police and ambulance paramedics attended the scene.
After the incident was reported, people recalled seeing seagulls diving for bait fish in the area where the attack occurred.
NSW Surf Life Saving spokeswoman Donna Wishart told the Illawarra Mercury the organisation recommended against going into the water if bait fish were present.
The beach would remain closed for 24 hours.
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