A day at the beach filled with sun, sand and surf is what summer is all about. To make sure your beach trip is a safe one, be sure to watch out for rip currents. A rip current is a relatively strong, narrow current flowing outward from the beach through the surf zone, and it presents a hazard to swimmers.
A simple trick to identify rip currents is to observe from the shore the patterns of waves breaking. Look for contrast of intense white foam where waves are breaking versus the flat, dark waters of the rip current. This characteristic pattern tells you, perhaps counter-intuitively, to head toward the surf and stay clear of the dark, flat water under which the fast currents lurk.
The safest beaches for swimmers are those with a lifeguard who is trained to recognize safe regions. Their flagged areas and advice should always be followed.
Should you get caught in a rip current, don’t panic. Try to remember a few simple rules from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
- 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 it 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.
Enjoy your time at the beach. Just be sure to stay aware of rip currents for a wonderful and safe time!