Don't get sucked in by the rip [videorecording].

Winner: Australian Safer Communities Awards 2009. Education, Training & Research.

Mary O'Malley.

Narrator, Rob Brander.

"Rip currents are strong, offshore flowing currents found on most of Australia?s beaches. According to SurfLife Saving Australia (SLSA) statistics, rips account for most of the approximately 90 coastal drowning deaths each year on our beaches. Yet very few Australians understand what rips are and how they can be avoided. A recent study by UNSW has shown that almost 70% of Australians visiting the coast cannot spot a rip. In response to this lack of understanding and awareness of the rip hazard, the University of NSW created a 4.5 minute video called (3z(BDon?t? Get Sucked in by the Rip(S3(B narrated by surf scientist and beach safety educator Dr Rob Brander. The video explains what rips area, how they behave, how to spot them and how to act appropriately if caught in one. Since its launch on the UNSW YouTube video channel in November 2008, the video has been viewed more than 37,000 times on the university channel as well as on other websites around the world. It is the only educational rip video of its kind in Australia and has quickly become the most successful public domain rip current video in the world. Feedback from beach safety practitioners, scientists, the adult community and school children has been extremely positive. Recent collaborative research between UNSW and SLSA has also shown that the rip current visual demonstrations in the video are a particularly effective educational tool. The video is relevant for all parts of the Australian coast which experience rips and would be of benefit to all Australians and international tourists who visit surf beaches." -- Website.

Summary available online.