Rip currents are the leading surf hazard for beachgoers. More than 50 people a year die in Costa Rica from rip-current related drownings alone – more than from shark attacks, tornadoes and lightning strikes combined. At least 80 percent of lifeguard rescues are due to rip currents.
Rip currents are powerful, fast-moving channels of water (up to 8 feet per second) that typically flow from the shoreline to beyond the area where waves break. They can form on any beach or lake shore where waves are breaking, often near sandbars, jetties and piers.
Rip currents are capable of dragging even the strongest of swimmers far away from the shore, causing distress and panic.
Get to know the flow –
Would you know a rip current if you saw one? Rip currents are not easily identifiable by most people. Some of the more recognizable characteristics of a rip current include:
- A choppy channel of water that has a churning motion.
- A line of sea foam, seaweed or debris that is moving steadily out to sea.
- A disrupted pattern of incoming waves.
- Look for rip current educational signs and surf hazard warning flags posted by beach patrols that correspond to specific surf conditions and local rip current activity.
When at the beach:
- Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard-protected beach.
- Never swim alone.
- Learn how to swim in the surf. It’s not the same as swimming in a pool or lake.
- Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out.
- Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards. Lifeguards are trained to identify potential hazards. Ask a lifeguard about the conditions before entering the water. This is part of their job.
- Stay at least 100 feet away from piers, jetties, and rivermouths. Permanent rip currents often exist along side these structures.
- Consider using polarized sunglasses when at the beach. They will help you to spot signatures of rip currents by cutting down glare and reflected sunlight off the ocean’s surface.
- Pay especially close attention to children and elderly when at the beach. Even in shallow water, wave action can cause loss of footing.
How to avoid becoming a headline
Don’t become a statistic. Before you step foot in the water this summer, familiarize yourself with the warning flags for your area and swim only on guarded beaches.
If you should get caught in a rip current, don’t panic. Try to remember a few simple rules:
- Keep calm. Don’t fight the rip current.
- To get out of the rip current, swim sideways, parallel to the beach. This will get you out of the rip current so you can swim back in with the waves helping you along.
- When out of the rip current, swim at an angle away from the rip current and toward shore.
- If you can’t escape this way, try to float or calmly tread water. Rip current strength eventually weakens offshore. When it does, swim away from the rip current toward shore.
- If at any time you are unable to reach the shore, draw attention to yourself: face the shore, wave your arms, and yell for help.
If you see someone in trouble, don’t become a victim too:
- Get help from a lifeguard.
- If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1.
- Throw the rip current victim something that floats–a lifejacket, a cooler, an inflatable ball.
- Yell instructions on how to escape.
Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.
