This summer so far, 48 people have drowned in Australia’s waterways — 16 of those at the beach.
There are about 17,000 rips at beaches across the country on any given day.
Chances are that unless you’re a skilled lifesaver or an experienced surfer, you’d prefer not to play a game of chance with one.
Yet 3.7 million Australians have been caught in a rip once in their lives.
The results can be anywhere from frightening to fatal.
With summer still in full swing, many people will continue to head to the beach. Here’s how to stay safe in the water.
What is a rip?
When waves come into the shore, they have to go somewhere.
Rips are the strong and narrow channels of water — usually 5 to 30 metres wide — getting sent back out to sea.
Coastal scientist Rob Brander, or otherwise known as Dr Rip, says they’re like a “river of the ocean”.
“Rip currents exist due to breaking waves and, more importantly, the variability in wave breaking both over time and space,” Dr Brander told the ABC.
“Basically when waves break, the water level rises and piles the water up.”
So, if there’s no waves breaking, there’s no rip.
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How fast can a rip pull you out?
They typically flow on average at about 0.3 to 0.5 metres per second (m/s).
To put that in perspective, you’d find it pretty hard to stand in one place if you were waist deep against a 0.5 m/s current.
But Professor Brander says they have a tendency of “sudden and short-lived accelerations” where they can pull a swimmer away from the beach at a speed of 1-2 m/s.
That’s much faster than most people can swim — it approaches Olympic swimmer speeds.
“In most places, rips will flow fastest about two hours either side of low tide because there’s more waves breaking due to shallower water,” he said.
How do you spot a rip?
Rips aren’t obvious to the untrained eye.
Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) coastal safety manager Michael Bonnici says rips can “often look deceptively similar to calm water or harmless waves”.
In fact, research shows that over half of all Australian adults are not confident in their ability to identify a rip.
So, here’s what to look out for according to our two experts.
Deeper, darker-coloured water
Look for narrow, darker green gaps of water between areas of breaking waves.
Professor Brander says to think of it as “white is nice, green is mean”.
“White is ‘nice’ because it means it’s shallower and waves are breaking, bringing water shorewards,” he said.
“Green is ‘mean’ because those dark gaps that look like green paths going through the surf could be rips.”
Sandy clouds extending beyond the surf zone
This is evidence that sand and seaweed from the shallows is being dragged out to the deep by the currents.
Also look out for foamy water.
“After a wave breaks, the water that rushes back to the sea will often appear frothy and foamy, especially where a rip current is located,” Mr Bonnici said.
Fewer breaking waves
This may seem counterintuitive, but the safest spot to swim is where the waves are breaking.
Rips often occur in areas where waves don’t break or where the wave height is lower.
“This is because the water flowing out creates a gap in the breaking waves,” Mr Bonnici said.
“Look for a section of the beach where the waves appear less intense or break less frequently.”
Different surface texture
Rips flow offshore and waves bring water back to the beach and that results in rips having a bumpy, rippled surface.
Given they can be very difficult to spot, Professor Brander says the best advice is to spend a few minutes watching the surf.
“One glance won’t do it. You need to take some time looking for these visual clues,” he said.
How many Australians have been caught in a rip in their lifetime?
3.7 million.
That’s according to the 2021 SLSA Coastal Safety Brief Rip Currents report.
On average, 26 people die as a result of rip currents every year.
During the 2023/2024 summer, there were 16 drowning deaths related to rip currents. All occurred outside of the flags.
Where are they most common?
Rips can occur anywhere along the coastline.
But they’re most common in beaches with consistent wave action and headlands, sandbars or channels.
Professor Brander says in New South Wales, channelised rips tend to be about 150 to 200 metres apart along beaches.
What to do if you’re caught in a rip
Stay calm and consider your options.
Panic leads to fatigue, which leads to drowning.
Even if you’re feeling freaked out, don’t fight the current. It’s a race you can’t win.
“Instead, allow the rip to carry you out for a short distance until it weakens,” Mr Bonnici said.
“Then, once you’re out of the main current, swim parallel to the shore. This will help you avoid being pulled further out.”
If you’re tired or unable to swim out of the rip, conserve your energy by staying afloat and signalling for help by waving your arms and calling out.
And if there are any surfers around, try hanging onto their board.
Remember, rips only take you for a ride.
They don’t pull you under or take you across the ocean.
Can you spot them?
Let’s put your new knowledge to the test.
Try to spot where the rips are in these four examples. Don’t click the arrow until you’ve worked it out — no cheating!
Where is the rip in this photo of St Kilda Beach?
What about in this one of Mystics (Minnamurra) Beach?
Can you spot the rip in this image of Stanwell Park?
Last one. Where is the rip here at Tamarama?
How many did you get correct? Remember to stay safe and vigilant when swimming at our beaches this summer.
