The painting depicts the metre-high chopping waves that can suddenly form on large lagoons and on the Sepik river when strong winds start blowing. The choppy waves are represented by the zigzag red, black and yellow lines. The white lines depict the long ribbons of yellow foam that are blown off the crest of breaking waves and scattered in ribbons across the surface of the water. The white roundels arranged in a column in the centre of the design represent the powerful forces that generate the waves.