Rip currents are the leading surf hazard for beachgoers. More than 100 people a year die 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.
Generally speaking, a riptide is less than 100 ft. wide, so swimming beyond it should not be too difficult. If you cannot swim out of the riptide, float on your back and allow the riptide to take you away from shore until you are beyond the pull of the current. Rip currents generally subside 50 to 100 yards from shore.
Read below to know more.
What is a Rip Current?
A rip current, often simply called a rip, is a specific kind of water current that can occur near beaches with breaking waves. A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water that moves directly away from the shore, cutting through the lines of breaking waves like a river running out to sea. A rip current is the strongest and fastest nearest the surface of the water.
Rip currents can be hazardous to people in the water. Swimmers who are caught in a rip current and who do not understand what is happening, or who may not have the necessary water skills, may panic, or they may exhaust themselves by trying to swim directly against the flow of water.
Because of these factors, rip currents are the leading cause of rescues by lifeguards at beaches, and in the United States, they are the cause of an average of 46 deaths by drowning per year.
A rip current is not the same thing as an undertow, although some people use the term incorrectly when they are talking about a rip current. Contrary to popular belief, neither rip nor undertow can pull a person down and hold them under the water.
A rip simply carries floating objects, including people, out to just beyond the zone of the breaking waves, at which point the current dissipates and releases everything it is carrying.
Difference Between Rip Current & Riptide
When summer comes around, many of us flock to the beach where fun is expected, the fun can be found, and fun is typically had. But some things could disrupt that fun. At the beach, there are two threats most people hear about often but might not know how to distinguish between: rip currents and rip tides. Living by the beach, we have all heard about rip currents and rip tides, but did you know they aren’t the same thing?
Rip currents are narrow currents that occur in surf zones that result in water flowing away from the shore, typically near a break in a sand bar. Rip tides, on the other hand, are very strong currents that occur as the tide pulls out of an inlet. Rip currents are what impact swimmers, while rip tides become more important when it comes to boater safety.
Are Rip Currents Dangerous?
Rip currents typically reach speeds of 1 to 2 feet per second. However, some rip currents have been measured at 8 feet per second faster than any Olympic swimmer ever recorded.
If wave activity is slight, several low rip currents can form, in various sizes and velocities. But in heavier wave action, fewer, more concentrated rip currents can form.
Because rip currents move perpendicular to shore and can be very strong, beach swimmers need to be careful. A person caught in a rip can be swept away from shore very quickly.
How to Survive a Rip Currents?
Remain calm. If you get caught in a rip current, don’t panic. You’ll have a better shot at getting out of the situation if you stay calm. Keeping your cool can help you conserve energy and think clearly.
Call for help if you’re not a strong swimmer. Escape involves floating with the current, then swimming parallel to the shore to cross the current’s edge. If you can’t swim, call for help and wave your arms to get the attention of a lifeguard or other people on the beach.
If you know how to swim, you should be able to escape and swim back to shore at an angle away from the current however, if you have any doubt about your ability to break free of the current, call and wave for help.
Float or tread water until you can swim out of the current. Your instincts may be to fight the current and swim directly back to shore. However, that’s the most dangerous thing you could do. Instead, focus on keeping your head above water until the current has weakened and you’re able to swim through its boundary.
Most rip currents weaken about 50 to 100 yards (46 to 91 m) from shore. Once the current has begun to subside, you’ll have an easier time swimming out of it. Even the strongest swimmers can’t fight a rip current. Trying to swim against it can lead to exhaustion and drowning.
Swim parallel to shore to escape the current. Most rip currents are between 30 and 100 feet (9.1 and 30.5 m) wide. Look for the nearest breaking waves; they indicate the current’s edge. Swim toward the waves, and be sure to move parallel to the shore instead of directly towards it.
Swim diagonally to the shore after you’re out of the current. Once you are out of the current, make your way back to shore at an angle away from the current. Swimming diagonally away from the rip current minimizes the chance that you’ll reenter it.
Rip currents often form around jetties and other structures perpendicular (at a 90-degree angle) to the beach. If you are near one of these structures, swim away from it.
If necessary, stop and float periodically to rest. If you’re exhausted and can’t swim any further, call for help and wave your arms.
Conclusion
Even though Rip Currents are dangerous and should be avoided, they cannot carry a human too far away. In the article above are listed ways to survive rip currents and get to safety. Rip Currents often occur, and thus people need to deal with them.
