Post a picture of a rip current on the Science of the Surf Facebook page and if yours is chosen as Rip of the Month, you win a free copy of 'Dr Rip's Essential Beach Book'!
Pictures can be taken from any angle, on any beach, but must include a short description describing the photo/rip. This is a great idea for kids, students, nippers, parents, surfers and budding marine scientists to get involved in!
Beaches are a natural playground for the millions of people who visit them each year. Unfortunately, thousands of people drown on beaches worldwide annually and hundreds of thousands more are rescued, mostly because of rip currents.
These numbers are unacceptably high and are largely due to a lack of understanding of the general public to the natural processes and hazards present on beaches. How many beachgoers know how to spot a rip current? Do you?
The Science of the Surf (SOS) program addresses this problem by providing a simple and engaging scientific understanding of the way that beaches, waves and hazards such as rip currents work.
Please explore this site for useful information relating to beaches and beach safety. Enjoy!
The Science of the Surf (SOS) is an educational program for the general public designed to reduce the number of drownings and injuries on our beaches. The fundamental philosophy of the program is that aside from only swimming where there are lifeguards and/or beach flags, the best way to stay safe at the beach is to actually understand how beaches, waves and currents work. You don't cross the street without looking both ways and you shouldn't go in the water without checking it out before you go out! But you need to know what to look for…
Learn more about SoS
Everything you wanted to know about surf, sand and rips' is a bestseller in Australia and is available from all good bookstores and the iTunes Bookstore.
About the BookExplore this website for valuable and award winning information including videos, fact sheets and other multimedia.
You can even order the Rip Current Survival Guide on DVD.
Want to Dr. Rip to visit your school or event? Or just want to attend an upcoming public talk?
A visually powerful and entertaining talk is available to schools, local councils, community and corporate groups.
Matthew ElderThis is just a letter of thanks following our viewing of your surf science videos. I have a 9 year old boy who is in his 4th season of nippers and up until watching your videos had no idea how to really understand the surf. Since watching your videos and reading your article he has improved immensely in the surf and his kneeboarding and surfing has really shone bright. He now reads the surf and selects waves so much better. We often just travel to headlands of different local beaches just so he learns to spot the rips in the surf (this is the best thing about the videos).
I always learnt that if you can just influence one persons life in a positive way then you have achieved a great feat in your own life. Well I dont know how many other people you have helped, but there are two people here that are much better off for your impact on our lives. So thank you.
Dr Rob Brander is a coastal geomorphologist and Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, NSW, Australia. He has been studying beaches and surf zones for 20 years having completed a BSc and MSc at the University of Toronto where Canadian water temperatures convinced him to live in Australia. His PhD on the morphodynamics of rip currents was completed at the University of Sydney in 1997. He has published over 20 articles based on his research on rip currents, coral reef-islands, and the 2004 tsunami and has taught at UNSW since 2000.
Learn More About Dr. Rip