Surfers & Beach Safety: New Study Findings
- Surfers in Victoria, Australia, contribute significantly to beach safety, according to a new La Trobe University study.
- Researchers analyzed data from 562 surfers between 2020 and 2023, finding that for every 100 surfs, respondents offered safety advice nearly 12 times, administered first aid about half...
- With over 6.3 million surfs annually in Victoria, the study estimates surfers provide more than 70,000 assists and almost 25,500 instances of first aid each year.
Study: surfers Play a Crucial Role in Victoria beach Safety
Updated june 09, 2025
Surfers in Victoria, Australia, contribute significantly to beach safety, according to a new La Trobe University study. The research, published in Safety Science, quantifies the impact of surfers’ actions on beachgoers’ well-being.
Researchers analyzed data from 562 surfers between 2020 and 2023, finding that for every 100 surfs, respondents offered safety advice nearly 12 times, administered first aid about half a time, and provided in-water assistance slightly more then once.
With over 6.3 million surfs annually in Victoria, the study estimates surfers provide more than 70,000 assists and almost 25,500 instances of first aid each year. This makes them a valuable, yet often unacknowledged, resource for beach safety.
Kiera Staley, Research Fellow at la Trobe Business School, emphasized the importance of these findings. “Our study clearly demonstrates that surfers are a valuable water safety resource through the help they provide to people experiencing difficulty in the water,” Staley said.
Many Australian beaches lack lifeguard supervision, making bystanders the primary responders. However, untrained individuals face risks when attempting rescues. while volunteer surf lifesavers and professional lifeguards patrol some beaches, hundreds of thousands of surfers populate the coastline, both patrolled and unpatrolled.
The study also revealed that surfers with board rescue qualifications were more likely to provide assistance.Specifically, they offered beach safety advice 29% more often and administered first aid three times as frequently as those without such training. This underscores the benefits of first aid and board rescue training for water safety.
“surfers are a potential resource for safety action to support other beach users,” Kiera said.
What’s next
The research suggests that providing free first aid and rescue training to surfers could further enhance beach safety efforts and educational initiatives across the country.