The ocean can look deceptively calm – until it isn’t. Here’s what ‘hazardous surf’ really means

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 19:07:33 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/the-ocean-can-look-deceptively-calm-until-it-isnt-heres-what-hazardous-surf-really-means-255011>

"Over the Easter weekend, seven people drowned along the Australian coast. Most
were swept off rock platforms – extremely dangerous locations that are
increasingly prevalent in Australia’s coastal fatality data.

The weather was unseasonably warm, the surf at times looking calm and at others
foreboding. And yet, despite warnings from Surf Life Saving, emergency services
and meteorologists, many still entered the water – often unaware of how
deceptively dangerous the conditions could be.

It was a tragic reminder that many people don’t understand ocean conditions and
how waves and swells work. Current water safety warnings aren’t doing enough to
change behaviour – but with simple improvements and better education around
long-period swells, we could save lives."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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