Coalcliff is an interesting beach as it's a mixed sand and gravel beach, which is very unusual in NSW or even Australia

If you want to learn more about what rips are, how to spot them and how to escape them, this website provides a nice and clear introduction.

One of the most common types of rip currents are boundary rip currents which flow next to physical structures such as headlands, rock platforms, groynes, jetties and piers

Duranbah Beach, known as 'Dee-Bah' to the locals is the northernmost beach in New South Wales situated north of the Tweed River Entrance and the headland at Point Danger, which marks the boundary with Queensland.

Another type is called a 'boundary' rip current which, as the name implies, flows along the side of a physical boundary. This boundary may be a natural headland or reef, or a structure such as a groyne, jetty or pier

Early this year in February I saw a post on the Facebook page of the Trust Waikato Hot Water Beach Lifeguard Service Inc with some spectacular pictures of Hot Water Beach taken by a drone.

Can art save lives at the beach? The Smart Beaches program aims to use cutting-edge technology to increase safety and improve visitor experience at four beaches in the Lake Macquarie region of NSW (south of Newcastle) and on Sydney's Northern Beaches

In these COVID19 times, many popular beaches have been closed to the public, but some beaches on the South Coast of NSW often look deserted most of the time anyway, like Broulee Beach in this photo.

Several years ago, documentary producer Jason Markland made 'Rip Current Heroes' for National Geographic. It's a full length documentary that is extremely powerful and educational. Watch it here!

Many of the rip current drownings that occur in Australia take place on beaches that are unpatrolled by professional lifeguards or volunteer surf lifesavers. When people choose to swim on unpatrolled beaches, the only thing that is keeping them safe is how much they understand about beach hazards such as rips and dangerous breaking waves...or luckIt all begins with an idea.

North Cronulla Beach is a popular beach in Sydney's Sutherland Shire that is the southern part of a much longer beach that extends several kilometres to the north and changes its' name a few times (Wanda, Elouera, Greenhills). It all begins with an idea.

This is an image of Bondi Beach taken on Christmas Day 2019 courtesy of the AAP. Christmas Day is always a major challenge for the Bondi Lifeguards because the beach is packed with people who may not be in the best condition when they enter the water.