Dr Rip’s Essential Beach Book: Everything you need to know about surf, sand and rips

by Rob Brander

How do waves break and what makes good surfing conditions? Why do beaches have different coloured sand? What are dangerous rip currents and how do you spot one – and what would you do if you got caught in one? Australia’ s best known surf scientist, Rob ‘ Dr Rip’ Brander answers all of these questions and more as we discover how beaches form, the science of waves and currents, how sand dunes work and the myth of collapsing sand bars, and the human impacts on our beaches and how they will respond to storms and climate change. Dr Rip’ s Essential Beach Book is filled with practical information on how to use the beach, from keeping your family safe in the surf to what to do in the (unlikely) event you find yourself swimming with a shark. Whether you’ re a surfer looking for the perfect wave or someone just enjoying a stroll along the sandy shoreline, this guide to the beach is a must-read for all ocean lovers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Nature

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2023

Reviews

[J.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in the mountains and - other than one vacation to SoCal when I was 6 - didn't get to know the beach until I was in my 20s, and I quickly fell in love! (It coincided with my falling in love with a California girl!) I love the waves, the sand, the sun, the water, and especially how it's the perfect spot to enjoy a good book! And although I never learned how to surf, I'm happy watching my kids hit the waves or looking for seashells on the beach. So, this was a great book for me.

Rob Brander, aka Dr. Rip, discusses the geomorphology of beaches, which is the study of how beaches form and why. He discusses where beach sand comes from, the size of the particles (from sand to rocks), and how it's all affected by waves. He also talks about beach safety, especially how different rip currents form and why as well as how to get out (it's not as simple as I've been told, and the easiest way is to avoid them in the first place). In fact, he spends a lot of time on rip currents since they are responsible for far more ocean deaths than anything else. He wraps it up with some of the other dangers such as jellyfish, cone snails, and of course, sharks.

This is an easy to read and very accessible book for casual readers. Although he does discuss some things that are a bit more complex, he does it in a way that makes it easy to understand and each chapter ends with a "bottom line" summary of important points. I was probably looking for something a little more technical, but found this a pleasant read about my favorite place. (Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance electronic review copy.)

[Keen Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

“I’ve never liked the beach…hated it all ma fuckin life!”

So opens up a highly amusing Billy Connolly skit, it holds a particular resonance for me and broadly captures and reflects most of my own feelings towards most beaches.

“When it comes to the beach, it’s all about the rocks.”

Brander makes for likeable and relatable company, during this short but entertaining journey through coastal geomorphology, where we learn many new and fascinating things about the importance of sand colours, tidal bores, killer marine animals as well as many of the other aspects which make up the many coastal miles out there, though this book does place a specific emphasis on the beaches of Australia and to a lesser extent New Zealand.

Elsewhere we get lessons on the topography and terrain, learning too about various coastal defences like groynes and sea walls etc and the natural features such as dunes and sandbars, which come in all shapes and sizes with some of the most common ones being, Longshore, Rhythmic, Transverse and the Multiple kinds.

“Rip currents are the main cause of drowning and rescues on surf beaches worldwide.”

Apparently there’s no such thing as an undertow, but it’s often confused with rips or rip currents, but rip currents aren’t a tide, we should think of them more as rivers of the sea moving from one place to another. Types of rips include -Boundary, Flash, Channelled (the most common), Mega and Swash rips!

“Rips don’t drown people, people drown in rips.”

We see that they can be a surfers best friend as they carry them out to the waves, allowing them to have a rest and conserve energy. Don’t panic (always easier said than done), goes the advice - it won’t pull you under or take you to the other side of the ocean, it’s just taking you for a ride.

Apparently beaches are very good at healing themselves and after major storms, most will heal within six months to a year, though with the increase in storm frequency around the world, such as parts of Australia like the East Coast, this can have obvious long-term repercussions on beach health and integrity. So there you go this is a fun and entertaining read and would no doubt be a useful companion to pack when going to the beach - especially if it happens to be an Australian one.

[Randal White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! An absolute beach lover, I have always laid out on the sand, watching the waves and wondering exactly how they worked. And how the surfers knew what were going to be good surfing waves. And why some of the beaches were sandy, rocky, yellow, white, or even black.
Thanks to this easily understood, easily read, short little book, it's opened my eyes up to what's actually happening. The author has a way of explaining the facts in language everyone can understand. Not at all stuffy or overly wordy.
It's a book you can read in pieces, a chapter or two at a time. Or take it with you on your next beach vacation and read it as you watch the wave action.
It also explains rip currents, which it would be very advisable for anyone who swims in the ocean to understand.
Just a great little, fun book!

[Cathryn King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, easy read to accompany your beach holiday. Could easily be picked up casually and read in sections, or cover to cover. Flows nicely, easy to understand and follow. Really interesting stuff that makes me wish I’d followed my interest in geology.

Great safety tips in here, particularly for people that didn’t grow up around the water. The section on rips should be required reading for travellers not particularly accustomed to the beach.

[Katie Steuerwald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about the beach and ocean. Really important everyone learns about Rips and how to keep safe at the beach

[Jacinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

At any beach: STOP a moment, THINK about safety, LOOK for hazards and have a PLAN!