Rip currents are strong, narrow, and often channelised currents of water that initiate close to the shoreline of ocean beaches and flow offshore through the surf and varying distances beyond. They are common features on Australians beaches, and can also occur in large bays, with an estimated 17,000 rips occurring on any given day around the coast. Rip currents account for more deaths in Australia than sharks floods and cyclones combined.
