Rip Current Safety

Looking to beat the heat and humidity at one of our local beaches? Sounds great ! Just be aware of potential dangers at our local beaches.

The Facebook video link (above) shows how a rip current will exhaust even a great swimmer. A rip current is a strong, narrow current of water that flows away from the shoreline at beaches with breaking waves. They are commonly found on all surf beaches, including those on the Great Lakes. 

Rip currents are dangerous because they can pull people quickly away from the shore, even strong swimmers. The speed of a rip current can vary, but they have been measured as fast as 8 feet per second. 

Watch this next video to prove that even waist-deep water can be dangerous.

How do rip currents form? 

• Waves break along the shoreline, pushing water toward the beach and causing a buildup of water.
• When there are areas of less wave breaking (e.g., a break in a sandbar), the accumulated water flows back out to sea through these areas, creating a rip current.
• Rip currents also tend to form near structures such as groins, jetties, and piers. 

Key facts about rip currents:

• Rip currents do not pull people under the water, they pull them away from shore.
• The terms “undertow” and “rip tide” are often used incorrectly to describe rip currents. They are not the same thing.
• Rip current speeds can be very fast, even faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint.
• They can be narrow or quite wide.
• Some rip currents dissipate just beyond the surf zone, while others can flow hundreds of yards offshore. 

If you get caught in a rip current: 

• Stay calm and conserve energy.
• Don’t fight the current by swimming directly back to shore.
• Swim parallel to the shoreline until you are out of the current’s pull.
• Once out of the current, swim back to shore at an angle.
• If you can’t reach shore, float or tread water and signal for help (wave your arms, yell). 

To avoid rip currents:

• Check the local beach forecast for rip current risk before going to the beach.
• Obey all warnings and safety flags.
• Never swim alone.