This was one piece of information that people learnt after attending the Science of the Surf presentation at the Camden Haven Surf Life Saving Club on February 24. 

“The trauma experienced by victims' families and all those involved in these drownings is extreme and no different to fatal shark attacks,” Dr Brander said. 

“Yet millions of dollars have been devoted to the shark problem.”

The Camden Haven Surf Life Saving Club was packed with people on February 24 keen to hear from the coastal geomorphologist and associate professor in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of New South Wales. 

Dr Brander has studied beaches and surf zones for 20 years and his PhD on the morphodynamics of rip currents was completed at the University of Sydney in 1997.

Dr Brander said 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.

Dr Brander said rips are the rivers of the sea and is a strong current that flows from the beach out past the breaking waves or sometimes a bit further. 

“Rips might look safe but they’re not,” he said. 

Dr Brander said people should assess the beach condition before going swimming. 

He said anywhere with white wash from waves is safe to swim but anywhere dark in colour between the waves is not. 

“Rips can also be identified by a slightly bumpy surface or by looking for moving objects in the current,” he said. 

Dr Brander said most people tend to panic and swim against a rip when they find themselves in one. 

“This is dangerous as people can easily tire,” he said. 

Instead, Dr Brander said people shouldn’t panic, float on their back, let themselves be taken out by the rip and then signal for help.  

For more information visit www.scienceofthesurf.com