Good luck to Dr Rip: Our local Science of the Surf expert is a finalist at the Walkleys

Professor Rob Brander is up for a Walkley Award – one of the highest honours in journalism – for a piece he wrote for The Conversation in 2024

by The Conversation

Published November 23, 2025

Congratulations to the Illawarra Flame's own Professor Rob Brander, aka Dr Rip. A resident of Coalcliff, Rob has been writing 'Science of the Surf' columns for his local paper for more than a decade. He's frequently in demand as an expert in the national press and this week is up for a Walkley Award – one of the highest honours in journalism – for a piece he wrote for The Conversation in December 2024.

Rob's interactive story "Can you spot a rip current?" was produced with The Conversation's Digital Storytelling team and is a finalist in the All Media: Explanatory Journalism category.

Combining a visual quiz with practical tips on how to survive Australia’s number-one coastal hazard, the article challenges myths about rips and provides up-to-date expert advice.

“The team did an excellent job coming up with a format that makes vital information accessible, engaging and sticky – everyone who plays learns something,” said Head of Editorial Innovation Ashlynne McGhee at The Conversation.

“Quizzes are technically complex, and Multimedia Editor Matt Garrow developed custom code for the mechanics, continuously testing it to make sure it would work for everyone, on every device.”

“We’ve seen it shared widely among our audience and become an essential for anyone teaching beach safety.”

The full team who worked on the story with Rob Brander includes: Matt Garrow, Sunanda Creagh, Ashlynne McGhee and Misha Ketchell.

The 70th Walkley Awards will be held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney this Thursday, November 27.

Good luck to Rob!

Read the original article from The Conversation below.

Can you spot a rip current? Test your knowledge with our interactive quiz

Rob Brander, UNSW Sydney

View the quiz

Rip currents are powerful, fast-moving currents that flow away from the shore, often occupying deep channels, and pose a significant hazard to swimmers. They are responsible for an average of 21 drownings a year in Australia, which are more deaths than bushfires, floods, cyclones and sharks combined.

Thousands of people get caught in rip currents each year around Australia. Research has shown that rips are more complex than previously thought and there is no single piece of advice for escaping a rip that works for all conditions and people. What you may have been taught to do as a kid may not actually be the best advice.

This quiz will teach you how to spot a rip, what to do if you’re caught in one and to remind you to always swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches. Good luck!

Rob Brander, Professor, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

by The Conversation

Published November 23, 2025