Over the Easter weekend, seven people drowned along the Australian coast. Most were swept off rock platforms – extremely dangerous locations that are increasingly prevalent in Australia’s coastal fatality data.

The weather was unseasonably warm, the surf at times looking calm and at others foreboding. And yet, despite warnings from Surf Life Saving, emergency services and meteorologists, many still entered the water – often unaware of how deceptively dangerous the conditions could be.

It was a tragic reminder that many people don’t understand ocean conditions and how waves and swells work. Current water safety warnings aren’t doing enough to change behaviour – but with simple improvements and better education around long-period swells, we could save lives.

Waves on the ocean are caused by wind. Some, called sea waves, are generated by nearby winds. Others, known as swell waves, are created by distant weather systems, such as storms far away, and travel long distances.

Swells can travel thousands of kilometres and may still be present even if the local wind is calm. It’s estimated that up to 75% of wave action across the globe is caused by distant........

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