The Science of the Surf (SOS)

The Science of the Surf (SOS) is a community beach safety program initiated by Rob Brander in 2001 with a goal to reduce the number of drownings and injuries on beaches, both in Australia and worldwide. The fundamental philosophy behind SOS is that aside from swimming where there are lifeguards, the best way to stay safe at the beach is to understand how beaches, waves and currents and common beach hazards work. 

SOS originated as a visually powerful and entertaining community presentation, often accompanied by releases of purple dye into rip currents, given by Rob Brander at venues around Australia. Hundreds of SOS talks have been given to the general public, primary and high school groups, surf clubs and community groups and over 50,000 people have seen this fascinating presentation. The program subsequently received significant media attention, won numerous safety awards and expanded to include YouTube videos with over 3 million views to date. 

You can view some of the SOS YouTube videos here and learn more about the Science of the Surf presentation and book a talk here.