How to survive beach rip currents?

[@UNSW]

Dr Rob Brander last night won Australia's top science prize, the Eureka, for his work on this Science of the Surf program. Well-deserved! Congratulations Rob.

[@ItsMeMissV369]

I like the way he explained it.

[@Tad-For-Global-Peace]

That’s awesome. Hello from USA

[@5hak3itup]

Now I'll be able to spot rip currents the next time I never go to the beach.

[@Thek0easy]

lol

[@fakeaccount5277]

ahhaah LMFAO I hate the beach scares the fuck out of me!

[@mraffa1722]

😂😂

[@tymathiecaldwell8184]

🤣🤣💀

[@Crezelltree4261]

@@fakeaccount5277 Stay in shallow water,don't go out too far.

[@danny89892]

i think everyone should know about these currents, specially the people who goes a lot to the beach, this is great information. My uncle died weeks ago because he was caught in a rip current and he didnt knew how to get out :(

[@ythomas71]

SORRY for your loss

[@tsc-ko1yy]

Sorry about that, my friend and I got stuck in one and barely got to shore, let's say I'll be sticking to knee deep for now...

[@sazzsizz3972]

Two of my friends got stuck in a rip current, and they are lost...haven't been found ..since 21st April 2018

[@acoggaming2667]

Sazz Sizz sorry to hear that, got caught on one and i swam to the side to the whitewash. A friend taught me that. Was scary.

[@nikkibat]

I’m so sorry for your loss

[@teeman9266]

"The main thing is not to panic, If you panic, you're gonna have a bad time" That actually sounds hilarious

[@rudolvonstroheim1450]

*sans noises*

[@KrNatiButDead]

@@rudolvonstroheim1450 *Megalovania Intensifies*

[@jonzo_]

South Park hahaha

[@creativekidgaming3789]

UNDERTALE SANS BAD TIME REFRECE

[@bofasofa9399]

@@creativekidgaming3789 wrong, undertale took it from South Park

[@ignatiustse4649]

That was useful. I could never understand how to identify rips although I learnt early on as a kid to swim sideways to try and catch a wave back in.

[@HamCubes]

I almost drowned in a rip current and I was very strong swimmer. I was practicing pop-up alone my first time in the Pacific when I'd never, ever been in anything but a calm Méditerranéan and Palm Beach. I got caught, panicked cause my leggie snapped, tried to swim in, panicked again, and then somehow remembered my Philosophy Prof (How I resented having to take a Humanities class!) telling us about how he got caught, and finally remembered to swim parallèle after my arms got noodled.

[@helenlaboone2032]

Fake

[@gezzapk]

Probably the most useful thing learned from your Philosophy major.

[@Crezelltree4261]

AeroDoe:I had the same experience.Thank GOD you survived.Respect the ocean.It is nothing to play with it.

[@ItsMeMissV369]

Your instincts took you back to a random piece of info In your past and it saved you! Wtg sub-conscious!

[@1ToniiTheShooter]

I hate I didn't see this video before 4/18. Maybe I could have done alot more smh. Im a victim of this RIP CURRENTS. @ Kure Beach myself & a lady by the name of #JessicaEmbry witnessed two little girls caught in a rip current. Me being a Father of 2 and a Big Brother & A Uncle I just leaped into action. Me and ms.embry was the only two who did. Sadly Ms.Embry died at the scene but we successfully saved both little girls. I was in a comma for 2 days and put on a ventilator to wake up & find out that ms.embry died & my health insurance expired last year. Now im trapped in a $21,000 debt with the hospital smh.

[@WolfOfWestLondon]

I’m a really strong swimmer and I was caught in a rip current whilst swimming in Miami South Beach, November last year After a few alcoholic beverages I thought it would be a good idea to swim out ‘until my feet didn’t touch the ground’ There were a few waves crashing about so I swam in the water which looked “calmer”. Then I thought it would be cool to go past the floating buoys and then turn back. Then as I started trying to swim back I noticed I wasn’t getting any closer to shore and I was getting a LOT more tired than usual. There were no lifeguards on duty and I was so far out that I doubt anyone would’ve seen/ heard me even if I signalled for help. Luckily I remember watching a couple of KZbin videos about rips and the main thing they said to do is NOT TO PANIC. So I took a deep breath, filled my lungs with oxygen and started to float on my back. Once I got my breath back, I started swimming horizontally to shore doing what I call the “octopus” stroke 😂😂 Took me around 15 minutes to get out of the rip and back to shore but it felt like a LIFETIME. (It didn’t help that I brushed alongside some jellyfish that I thought were deadly on the way back either) The day after the ordeal there were extreme rip current warnings for Miami Beach and lifeguards weren’t letting anyone go further than knee deep.. I’m a very composed individual and even I was SURE I was going to die that day Safe to say I won’t be drinking next time I go in the sea..

[@jesterjacobs]

I almost drowned in a rip current. I wish I was made aware of what to do before it was too late. I got swept about half a mile on a almost deserted beach in Thailand. While battling exhaustion I started to succumb to the power of the ocean. A wave crashed behind me and then I began choking on the saltwater. I knew I wasn't going to make it back. Incredibly, a bodyboarder must have heard me and came to my aid. After he got us back I was too shaken to thank him properly. I was seconds from death.

[@animemusic1334]

@Nathan B Ikr

[@ItsMeMissV369]

Random bodyboarder = angel.

[@jesterjacobs]

Nathan B cos I was panicking like an idiot. Didn’t know what to do. Plus the tide was strong and the waves were tall!

[@terrastrega]

Thank you very much for this video, a dear friend of mine recently drowned in a Rip while holidaying in Brasil for New Years.. He lived in the Gold Coast and used to go to the beach often, he was at a isolated beach with no lifeguards... its so important people learn how to be careful and know what to do.. if only he had watched this video before he left for holiday... This video is now on my facebook site for all my friends to watch.

[@Alek_FilmsTravel]

Great video! Very educational. I was once caught in a rip current, off a Southern California coast. At that time I had no idea what a rip was... so I tried to beat it (thinking it's the entire ocean "taking me away" to sea), and got quickly exhausted, as it happens in most cases. I yelled for help repeatedly, but to no avail; nobody could see me, or hear me, from the shore... I thought that was it... the end... but luckily (LUCKILY!) my friends did eventually hear me, and swam to the rescue!

[@UNSW]

We'd love to do that. When we investigated this a while back we were told the airlines thought we'd turn away tourists if we showed them the dangers on our beaches. It makes much sense to us to prepare tourists.

[@checkanr138]

preparing tourists on the plane should be mandatory, it saves not only their lifes, but also lifes from people trying to save them and drowning as well. in general there needs to be more awareness of rip currents on the beaches all over the world. some info tables on the beaches with warnings and how to behave if you get caught would not cost a lot and definitely save some lifes.

[@edwardschutz9075]

At age 18 I was body surfing at Surfers Paradise, Australia when I got caught in a rip. I knew about rips snd swimming to one There were also 2 others, big guys and good swimmers who had no idea and were becoming exhausted. I swam to them, explained what to do, and led them to one side when we quickly left the rip and easily got in. Thankedvsnd went on my way. That was 62 years ago.

[@ask412]

I am saddened by the regular loss of life. Having surfed the un patroled big breaks in WAs SW since the early 80s. My experience tells me awareness, is the key to safety; First, study the local weather beforehand. Second, when at the beach, it really is worth sitting on a high point and observing the scenario in this video, most wise surfers do this. Patience is part of good preparation. 20 - 30 minutes is perfect. Please pay this forward.

[@prutz18]

I've lived on the Gold Coast for most of my life, and this the best vid I've seen that explains exactly what happens... I have seen so many tourists swept out, which always end up on the news. Please keep this education up, as it is often the first reference tourists will employ before they travel to OZ

[@kaylag5043]

I live on the Gold Coast too. We watched this video at my year 6 camp.

[@UNSW]

Bondi Beach in Sydney in the beginning, as well as Bronte and Tamarama.

[@UNSW]

For those wondering about what an "undertow" is, here's the gold from Dr Rip himself, UNSW's Dr Rob Brander: Undertow is a misleading term as it implies that the water (or rip) pulls you under. This isn’t the case at all. Rips just take you for a ride. Many scientists unfortunately continue to use the term ‘undertow’ to describe a gentle return flow of water near the bottom bed that occurs everywhere underneath breaking waves, but this is not the same thing as a rip. We are trying to stamp out the use of ‘undertow’ because it is helps contribute to people panicking when they are caught in a rip. It’s just a bad and outdated term. Some people also confuse strong backwash on steep beaches as an undertow, but that process isn’t rips either.

[@tinkertanner165]

Well, when there shore breaks and backwash pulls your feet out, it seems like undertow, its not... but for inexperienced swimmers it feels like being pulled under.

[@shooter7a]

Despite all the explanations, WHAT TO DO was still not well explained. Can you swim 50 feet? The widest rip currents are about 100 feet wide. So that means you need only swim 50'. Noticing quickly that you are in a rip is important. What you should do is CALMLY swim at a safe, moderate pace PERPENDICULAR to the direction you feel the current pulling you. This will usually be parallel to the beach.

[@TheRadioAteMyTV]

It's hard to stay calm when everyone is constantly making videos and doing news stories that are made to scare the pooh out of them! Instead, they should just say what you said about how to deal with it. The only people who should be concerned are non-swimmers. Yeah, they are screwed.

[@ItsMeMissV369]

I thought please advise at 2:10 was excellent.

[@dargus1718]

If you can't swim 100 feet you shouldn't even be in the ocean.

[@Jay-ro2vn]

bro, you would have to be in huge swell for a rip to be 30meters wide. That's alot of water movement. Very uncommon on the beach. Most rips as are very narrow and easy to get out off. People only die because they don't understand what's happening to them. They think they're being sucked out into the ocean when in reality they are most likely to be pulled out 40ft.

[@Octopussyist]

Why would this make you dislike the ocean??? This was simple, clear and exact information to make you know where you can have fun in the ocean, and where you cannot. I'd think, understanding the ocean a little better would make you love it even more.

[@alicexhearts40]

I got pulled in by one of those wave thingies in Destin Florida and I thought I was gonna die. I started to seriously panic. NEVER EVER PANIC. so what I did was I swam under water until I reached the sandy part.

[@BrandanG19]

+Alice x Hearts i have before too, I was in Hawaii maybe 14 was just swimming around and i started to get pretty far try for about 10 minutes to swim back to shore going as fast as i could and keep getting more and more far out. finally i just yelled for help and some big military guy came out and helped me back. shit was scarey

[@auschili]

Show a five minute clip about rips, including breathing techniques on how to stay calm on every plane arriving to every coastal city in Australia. I'm sure anyone motivated enough (ie: anyone else but me) to push this idea to the Australian government, backed by UNSW would get this job done. Thanks Doc Rip very informative :)

[@gmc608203]

my dad told me the story when he got caught into one of these. this was before i was born, he swam to the left and ended up getting cut by the spikes on the poles under the pier. he still have the scratchs to this day. THANK GOD HE SURVIVED OR I WOULDN'T BE HERE!!!

[@ramdas363]

Probably the best short video on this out there.

[@miklcct]

This is a very useful video. I've never seen rip currents in my area. There are seldom waves and usually as calm as in a pool.

[@danwoywitka]

This is a great video, still not many that explain it properly and provide solid examples and overview. Thanks!

[@xKluTcHz]

Don't know how i ended up here .. but you learn something new everyday.. thanks!

[@ya__basic]

You explain really well, doctor. Thank you for these videos!

[@hanssem_JuneKD]

I have always been watching this video over 50 times

[@Bladerunner55217]

This is the best video that shows a rip! Thanks

[@JenniferMones]

I got caught in a rip tide today and miraculously was able to get myself back to shore. Now I'm researching them so I know better if I get caught in one again.

[@smolenskkid]

Yeah, that's what brought me here now, lol.

[@ndrsg3013]

I got caught on a few times on them. The easiest way to survive is by: " Go with the flow / current slightly swimming diagonally out of it, keep calm and swim slowly... some currents are really strong and can make you panic, just don't panic and never swim against the current "

[@Mememeandm]

. Great information. I was caught in one trying to reach my son. I never new about them since yesterday. A surfer saved us. I DID panic. I couldn t get out of the sea my son so yes. I was in great panic.

[@sharkl11]

good to have you still with us.

[@Deanwrd]

Awesome tip. Been a lot of "rips" on the Atlantic, Northeast Coast, U.S. this summer. Will share.

[@cynthiahawkins2142]

This is a really good explanation of the rip currents. One of the better ones I've seen. Please keep this video up even though it's over 10 years old.

[@bassanih]

Great video. They should show this in schools before summer vacation! Any teachers out there??? I will definitely be sharing. I also felt dumb as we are at the beach and there are rip warnings so I had to look it up.

[@Crezelltree4261]

I got caught in a rip years ago in San Diego.I almost bought it except a friend of mine,thank GOD,was nearby on a body surf & he helped me back to shore.I had no idea what a rip current was & what you must do to get out of it.I definately know now.Today I respect the ocean as we all must.If I visit the beach I will not go out too far.No way.Have fun but be safe.

[@quente202]

Excellent, informative video - thank you for posting this.

[@JamalGay]

Well done. Clear and concise. Could be a real a life saver.

[@OriginalThisAndThat]

I've been in a rip with floating mattress, and the padding I had to do was really hard. I was at beach near harbour area and noticed that I started to move pretty quickly to the sea.

[@YargDisease]

I knew about rips before but this was Literally Everything about them haha Nicely done.

[@baljeetd]

This is one of the most useful vids I've seen on rips currents to date - there seems to be precious little comprehensive quality info. However, I think Dr Rob Brander could do with slowing right down - it's very rushed and compact. Many people will miss, or misunderstand some of his comments. Rips are quite complicated things - many types with different looks and different behaviours. It would help therefore to slow it down, break it up and make it clearer. Well done Doc!

[@UNSW]

Thanks for your comments. Maybe we should ask TV stations to run a community service announcement.

[@ItsMeMissV369]

I am in SoCal and I post about riptides occasionally. I’m amazed more people don’t bring it up. Four years ago when I moved here, a group of us were told by a lifeguard to move 50 feet down the beach before going in because of riptide. We were from Baltimore, St. Louis and Akron, what the heck is a riptide!?! We educated ourselves with videos like this. Thank God because I’m positive I would do the number one bad thing - PANIC & expend/exhaust my energy - goodbye world! I feel this is so serious but basic to adhere by & safety sheets should be in hotel rooms. So grateful for the diligent lifeguards our there🙏 Be safe, have fun but respect the mighty ocean!

[@GinniGee]

VERY INFORMATIVE! We're regular beach-goers with the family both here in Sydney and up the coast and NO ONE (including lifesavers on the beach) has properly or clearly explained to us what a rip looks like or to look for that clear channel of water - this was fantastic!! I heard you on the radio (2UE) today and checked this out and send it out to everyone in my email address book - if it saves ONE life, it'll be worth the exercise!! Have a safe and Happy Holiday Season everyone! Thanks Doc!

[@checkanr138]

they should have info graphics with some text on how to behave if you get caught by a rip tide on every beach, there is not enough information on this topic. it would save lives and the cost would not be huge at all.

[@Majamacoco]

Valuable information, many thanks for sharing it !

[@YasminYoruba]

This needs to be taught to people in Australia and people coming for holidays. In all languages!

[@JasmineCherie]

Lake Erie Canada. #ripsurvivor When I was 9 (and an extremely good synchronized swimmer) I swam into a rip and got pulled out. I was pommeled by massive waves for nearly an hour, just as I was about to give up a man in a red speedo came out to save me while my family wined and dined on the beach. 🏖 I slept for the next 2 days and was sore for weeks. Respect water. She’s both powerful and destructive.

[@marcusfreitas9844]

Aqui na minha cidade morreram dois nessa corrente de retorno. Corrente rip.

[@emiliofernandez7117]

Nice family to wine and dine while you drown

[@siriosstar4789]

i use to get caught in currents in Southern california when i was a young boy .Not sure if they were rips. these currents ran almost parallel to the shore . i'm a weak swimmer so my mom taught me to turn over my back and relax and gently do a kind of back stroking going WITH the current and at a slight angle towards the shore . it would take a hundred yards or more to get back to shallow water but it worked every time . like the guy said Do NOt panic and fight the current , you will lose .

[@Jimmy2toes4u]

Got caught in one 2 years ago. Was about gassed and was on the last of my strength when my feet hit sand

[@twisky1535]

Isn’t this bondi beach the one from the show

[@4enlightenment815]

Very useful and informative. awesome stuff, many thanks

[@arpolwest120]

What I have done in Villa Gessel Argentina ( ATLANTIC OCEAN) being a moderate swimmer, a few days I enjoyed swimming in and the waves returning me to shore, the fifth time I was caught in the rip, a minor panic I knew the depth of the sandbar wasn't very deep So I faced the shore when the wave was down I submerged my self standing up, holding my breath WALKING TOWARDS THE SHORE, REPEATING THE PROCESS TEN OR FIFTEEN TIMES TILL I REACHED THE SHORE 100 METRES TO THE LEFT TO THE INITIAL POINT, MY WIFE HAS TURNED HER BACK TO THE WATER, YEARS CAMPING AS A KID WITH THE JESUITS AND FACING THE ELEMENTS! IN THE WATER AND THE MOUNTAINS, SWIMMING UNDER WATER A LOT IN THE NEW AQUATIC CENTER IN LA INMACUALDA CONCEPTCION COLLEGE IN SANTA FE ARGENTINA !!!

[@JezXoXo]

excellant, this helped me a lot because i will be travelling to sydney soon for a short holiday :)

[@Alek_FilmsTravel]

Great video! Very informative. Awesome quality, video and sound are superior. Thanks for sharing! ;-)

[@Fire4FX]

About 4-5 of us on a high-school excursion to the South coast of NSW got caught in one. First you start to drift out slowly & higher in the waves & can't feel the bottom. You need to stay calm & focused. Stay afloat & breath calmly. Then check the area around you to see if you can swim to sideways across to the nearest land even if it's rocks. Never try to swim back to the beach! It can also help by duck diving & swimming across towards land on either side of the beach.

[@TheTurbinator]

I remember when I lived near an ocean beach when i was a kid, we would go in to the rip and let it carry us in to deep waters, then once we are out of it, or when we went out far enough, we would just swim parallel to shore and then compete on who is going to get back to the shore first. They are not dangerous man eating things everyone makes them out to be. However they are dangerous if you have no beach experience, because you don't know what is going on, or how it works, and how to beat it.

[@Hudentag]

This will help me with my PDHPE assessment

[@Roxy41262]

I found this video very useful and easy to understand. Thank you.

[@BlueRusso]

I'm from a region of continuous sand beaches, so Sydney's beaches with headlands and coves are a bit exotic. Dr Brander's video helps explain how the 2010 Easter Monday Tamarama-Clovelly swim could be held in such large surf--there's a great deal of expertise on how this beach works. I can't tell for sure from photos at the Wentworth Courier, but possibly the swim route took advantage of a structural rip to get the participants out beyond the surf and on their way to Clovelly.

[@platinumdynamite]

This is brilliant, I never knew about these. It was explained clearly and was very useful.

[@charlesho3737]

19 dislikes? Excuse me?

[@jimmybeanbagg7137]

Charles Ho there the tourist that want to drown themselves

[@the__ghake7591]

Correlation: 2019 it’s 46 👎🏻

[@musket3279]

2020 is 48

[@mokkemi8071]

2021 59

[@iloveSE7EN]

read about them in my geology book which was also nice enough to tell me how to get out of one and how to spot them. : ) Just another reason why I really don't like the ocean.

[@AKA_Mufasa]

I Live in Ireland, and got caught in one of these,and panicked, bad idea, I clamored for the rocks, and got badly torn up, I am lucky to be alive today, If it was not for the good weather and the guards on duty, I would have taken my last breath that day, I urge everybody who does not know about these things, to educate yourself and whom ever you know.

[@Aritul]

This was so helpful. Thank you.

[@Mapkit]

This should be part of every school kids education, even if they live a long way inland and have never visited the sea. Some day they probably will, and if they are aware of the danger of rips they may survive.

[@geedunk13]

@prokravmaga54 what do you mean it goes out 6 meters? Then drops down? You talking about the ocean depth?? Im confused sorry

[@flakkthegamer9646]

Great vid man! I saw your channel at school so I decided to sub and turn on notifications.

[@chauqpham]

i survived a rlly big one just today

[@UNSW]

Proudly Canadian.

[@ItsMeMissV369]

Perfect advice at 2:10!

[@viviendale5250]

Thanks, really useful

[@garyanderson9614]

Thanks. We get rip tides on Lake Superior

[@qjnine]

Excellent video!

[@danbei2232]

Great video. Just bought your book.

[@TiaNicoleLifestyle]

Very educational thank u

[@bigmoney66b]

You probably did what most people do, swim against it to shore. People don't drown FROM the current but from exhaustion and panic. Rip currents don't carry you that far so you could ride it out until you reach end and just swim out of it, OR swim sideways, BUT side stream might push you back in ! so you might have to try both sides to find which one works. I find it easier to swim IN the direction of the current and diagonally inward, much easier to break from the rip,

[@Leo_seguridad]

very informative video. I always thought rip currents pull u under as well as out to see. This is a great learning video.

[@CocaiineNadex]

*Sea

[@lukemoran9701]

I’m,

[@hgild99]

thanks so much for posting this video... really appreciate it.

[@PatrickRynne]

great stuff Rob!

[@dennissavage4007]

Vic Hyslop quoted hundreds are taken by sharks around Australia shown as drownings. As one women quoted I wouldn't go past ankle deep at any beach.

[@lawrence90909]

i got stuck on a rip today in huntington beach and i didnt know what it was. i am a good pool swimmer and i just kept swimming against the rip and it would just push me. i started panicking and trying to get help. the lifeguard had to help me, and saved me.

[@MrComputergenius]

Wow. I just figured out I got stuck in one (i think). It was in Galveston and I was in a tube when it happened. The first time I realized I was going back was when I went off the tube and tried to swim back but it was hard because the waves disorient you. My dad was strangely pull me and the tube out though so it might not have been a rip. But it was scary!

[@giannine18]

This video is very helpful!

[@Alek_FilmsTravel]

@du4lstrik3 I am sooooo sorry to hear about your dad and brother :( Please accept my condolences. Yes, rip currents can be deadly... I was stuck in one, and - not knowing to swim sideways - was trying to beat it, and quickly got totally exhausted.... Luckily, a friend of mine (followed by a rescuer) swam to me just in time.

[@marilynrolonrivera]

Thanks for the video, good info!

[@Ivestor1]

Awesome explanation! Thanks this was so informative!

[@probe26]

I went out as a noob surfer in CA and got fucking destroyed by a rip. I was so damn far away the beach was tiny. I did everything wrong like tried to fight it. I actually got so tired I gave up and just rested on the surf board. Finally my friend kept waving his hands for me to swim sideways. It worked.

[@UNSW]

@Omaarlovemusic All the info is here and on the website we've listed.

[@jackcundiff1011]

I got caught in one today luckily I swam out but try to conserve your energy a lot that’s what helped me

[@Sailingnations]

Amazing trip, thanks for sharing

[@shortykaterinaa]

i was just in one of these! I thought their was just a wave but someone took my hand and started pulling me, i'm like "What's going on?" hahah.

[@nikkibat]

This vid helped me a lot!

[@erickmiranda2070]

Can you do one about rivers please?

[@colotschini]

very important.thank you to explain!

[@schojess]

There can be rips in Lake Huron; look for sandy beaches with big waves coming in, and you could find a rip. Great Lakes rip currents are more common than thought.

[@delvaldez]

This is really good, thanks

[@JustinTurdoCastro420]

I was always told to left the rip current take you out and then body surf waves back. But I live in the middle of the prairies so I've never even been in a rip current.

[@miguelrodriguez1214]

I got caught in one a while back after falling from a kayak that thing sure was taking me away. I have life jacket tho. I knew I was in one. started to swin sideways until i didnt feel the pull any more. swam back tom the beach but it was a lil scary.

[@mavericklanglois]

Really clear, thanks!

[@theonevanessa]

thanks for this informative video!

[@NotUrAvgChic]

Super vid. Ty.