--- title: "Rip currents can be hazardous even for experienced lifeguards due to their difficulty in identifying them" url: https://newscentral.site/rip-currents-can-be-hazardous-even-for-experienced-lifeguards-due/ language: en publisher: "News Central Site" section: "Science" published: 2026-11-11T12:20:01.000Z updated: 2026-11-11T15:30:36.810Z id: 1b272025-bcc3-476c-9a5f-8728fb21b868 source: "Phys.org https://phys.org/news/2026-11-ripeye-flags-rip-currents-beach.html" attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/rip-currents-can-be-hazardous-even-for-experienced-lifeguards-due/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story." --- # Rip currents can be hazardous even for experienced lifeguards due to their difficulty in identifying them Researchers at UNSW have developed an AI tool called RipEye that detects potential rip currents within seconds by analyzing images of beach conditions. Rip currents are a major concern for beachgoers around the world, particularly in Australia where they claim 47% of beach drowning deaths recorded in the National Drowning Report 2025. The danger posed by rip currents is not just their power to pull swimmers away from shore, but also the difficulty in identifying them. While many people know that strong currents can be hazardous, spotting a rip current in action can be challenging even for experienced lifeguards. Researchers at UNSW have made significant progress in developing an innovative solution to this problem: RipEye, an artificial intelligence tool designed to analyze images of beach conditions and detect potential rip currents within seconds. The AI-powered technology is part of a major research project led by UNSW in partnership with Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) aimed at improving awareness and safety protocols for beachgoers. The goal is to eventually integrate RipEye into public education programs and surf lifesaving operations. RipEye combines two key components: the AI Live Scan tool, which rapidly identifies potential rip currents from images taken on a smartphone, and "Spot the Rip," an interactive game designed to help people develop their own skills in recognizing rip currents. The technology has been designed to be simple and accessible, aiming to equip people with the knowledge and tools needed to make safer decisions before entering the water. Accuracy alone is not enough for this system; it must also process information efficiently and deliver results while conditions are still relevant. RipEye's interactive learning component is based on an AI-assisted game called Spot the Rip. Players progress through different levels, identifying rip currents in images of beaches, and then compare their answers with AI feedback and tips to improve their skills. The game was designed with specific groups at risk of drowning in mind, including young men, international visitors, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities. This summer, the Surf Life Saving Australia organization will test the game with these target groups, gathering feedback from beachgoers to refine the user experience. The RipEye system aims to make beach safety education more accessible by offering the game in multiple languages and making it available on mobile devices. Rip currents pose a significant threat to swimmers worldwide due to their strong, narrow flow away from the shoreline that can quickly sweep people into deeper water. Coastal monitoring technology expert Mitchell Harley from UNSW's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering is contributing his expertise to this project. Based at the UNSW Water Research Laboratory in Manly Vale, he uses innovative techniques to interpret visual data for a better understanding of coastal hazards. The team behind RipEye has been gathering beach imagery for over 25 years through their work at WRL, resulting in one of the world's largest databases of beach images. This extensive dataset has also benefited from input from SLSA members who have contributed rip current images and shared their expertise and local knowledge to build a unique dataset. Ph.D. candidate Shenyang Qian is responsible for training the AI model using thousands of images from this database, which he annotated over a period of 12 months. Qian's task involved developing and fine-tuning the AI system to recognize visual patterns associated with rip currents. The development process for RipEye has been a lengthy and arduous task, during which the AI system has learned to detect rip currents and adapt to changing conditions. Despite its accuracy rate of around 80%, users must understand that no detection system can guarantee safety in all cases, emphasizing the importance of caution when using this technology. The diverse coastline of Australia has provided researchers with a wide range of beach environments and conditions to draw from in developing RipEye's capabilities. This diversity poses challenges for the model, as rips do not always present themselves uniformly, requiring it to be able to recognize them across different beaches and under varying circumstances. Testing has also been conducted on images from Vietnamese and California beaches, yielding promising early results that suggest the technology's potential applicability beyond Australian shores. The testing of RipEye is being conducted by Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) members at specific locations to assess its potential as a complement or enhancement to existing operational procedures. This includes evaluating how the tool's information could inform decisions about where to place red and yellow flags marking safer swimming areas on surf beaches. The implementation of RipEye is planned to support training for SLSA members, with the ultimate goal of releasing it to the public. As part of this effort, the project aims to address concerns surrounding over-reliance on technology by understanding how people interact with AI assistance. Ghanavati emphasizes that technical performance alone is not enough; understanding how people interpret and trust AI is equally crucial. This includes examining whether AI assistance improves hazard awareness or creates a false sense of confidence among users. The Australian coastline boasts 11,000 mainland beaches, making it impractical to maintain active patrols across all areas throughout the year. To address this challenge, the project focuses on unpatrolled beaches and aims to support SLSA's goal of reducing drowning deaths by 50% by 2030. RipEye is being developed with a particular emphasis on tackling one of Australia's most pressing coastal hazards: rip currents. These powerful underwater flows are responsible for more than one in three drowning deaths on Australian beaches, yet can be difficult to identify. Lawes notes that detecting hazards is only possible if they can be seen, and rip currents often remain invisible until it's too late. The development of RipEye seeks to change this by providing early warnings and supporting SLSA's efforts to prevent these tragic events. The alarming statistics show that despite many Australians thinking they can spot a rip current, only a small percentage can accurately identify one. This discrepancy highlights the need for tools like RipEye, which aims to bridge this knowledge gap by providing early warnings and supporting Surf Life Saving Australia's efforts to prevent tragic events. RipEye's development is crucial in making beachgoers safer, as it can transform visual information into tangible data that people can understand and use. This tool has the potential to educate and inform individuals about rip currents, enabling them to make informed decisions when entering the water. The AI-powered technology behind RipEye could become a valuable asset in promoting safe choices among beachgoers. By helping professionals and individuals better identify hazards, it may encourage people to learn what to look for themselves, ultimately reducing the risk of accidents. RipEye's impact is expected to be significant in making beaches safer, as it can provide crucial information that would otherwise be difficult to detect. --- Source: [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-ripeye-flags-rip-currents-beach.html) Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/rip-currents-can-be-hazardous-even-for-experienced-lifeguards-due/