My worst fear when body surfing in the ocean is getting stuck in a rip current. I was curious about how to get out of one and also how to avoid them so I did some research.
How do you get out of a rip current? There are two options:
- Swim parallel to the shore until the current weakens and then swim back to shore.
- Go with the flow and the current will eventually bring you back to shore, a sandbank, or breaking waves that you can ride back to the beach.
Although these tips may seem simple enough to put into action, there is a little more that goes into it. Let’s take a deeper look at each of these survival options and how to avoid rip currents in the first place.
what to do if you are caught in a rip current?
Many people panic when they are caught in a rip current. When they find themselves quickly getting dragged out to sea, the first reaction is to swim directly back towards shore.
Is it a good idea to swim against a rip current? Absolutely NOT as this could jeopardize your life! Even the strongest swimmers should not attempt to do this.
Instead, remain calm. You want to control your breathing so you can remain focused and less fatigued. Even though being caught in a rip current is scary, you want to remain positive.
Once you have calmed your nerves, there are two courses of action you can take:
- Swim parallel to shore to get out of the current – This has been the traditional advice given to swimmers caught in a rip current. It has been proven to work effectively and is definitely worth trying if you are ever caught in a rip. If the neck of the rip current is narrow, swimming parallel to shore will get you out of the current quickly. However, if the neck of the rip is wide then it may take longer to escape. Therefore this option is fine for stronger swimmers. You may have to swim up to 25 yards before you can escape a rip current.
- Go with the flow – This is a more recent survival tactic discovered by Jamie MacMahan. Since the majority of rip currents tend to flow in large circles, simply floating or treading water in the current will eventually take you back to shore. It could push you out to 300 feet offshore, but the circulating pattern will return you back to shore or close enough for you to easily sim back to the beach. This may be a better option for weaker swimmers to prevent fatigue and possible drowning.
When you have successfully escaped the rip current, you can begin your swim back towards shore diagonally away from the current to avoid being pulled back in. You can also catch a wave and ride it at a similar angle towards the shore.
how to avoid a rip current
One of the best defenses against being caught in a rip current is to actually avoid it in the first place. Here are a few actions you can take before jumping in the ocean that will protect you from getting caught in a rip.
Swim in a patrolled location – If there is a presence of a rip in the ocean, lifeguards will typically mark a safe location for swimming with certain color flags. Swimming in the locations marked by those flags will help to keep away from the rip currents
Check the ocean – Before heading into the water for a sweet bodysurfing session, always check the area of the ocean for potential rips. The bottom of the ocean tends to shift with the tide and waves, which can create new floor channels and change the location of rip currents every day. The next section covers how to spot a rip current.
Bring a friend – Having a friend or relative with you when bodysurfing allows for another pair of eyes to scan the ocean. You may not see the rip current but your friend might. Plus, you will be able to watch out for one another.
Wear fins – Using fins while you bodysurf is a great idea because it can help you escape rip currents quickly and easily. Fins allow you to propel yourself quickly in the water, which can greatly reduce your risk of getting caught in rips. Check out some of the best fins for bodysurfing that I highly recommend.
how to identify a rip current
Scanning the ocean before swimming is essential to avoiding rip currents. Identifying rip currents can be difficult, especially to the untrained eye. Here are a few tips to help you spot a rip current before you go in the water.
Debris moving with the current – Typically you will see seaweed or debris flowing in a rip current. If you see anything like this moving seaward, then make sure to stay away from that area.
Flat spots in breakers – Rip current usually form a flat line in between a sea of breaking waves. The wave activity is minimal compared to the surrounding area.
Water discoloration – Rip currents tend to churn up sediment and sand from the floor. They also can produce a considerable amount of foam which turns the water slightly dark brown in color. Water can also look darker in general.
It looks like a rippled river – In some cases, a rip current may actually look like a stream of choppy water flowing outward into the ocean. If you see a rippled stream of water flowing seaward, this is more than likely a rip current.
Warning signs or flags – Lifeguards put up flags and warning signs on the beach to mark the presence of rip currents. This will be the easiest way to become aware of rip currents in the area.
View from a distant, elevated position – The easiest way to spot rip currents is to stand back from the shoreline at an elevated position for the best view.
Wear polarized sunglasses – Wearing polarized sunglasses can actually help you spot rip currents more easily. They may allow you to see the flow of current in the water better.
Rip currents can flow at an angle – It is important to note that not all rip currents flow in a straight line directly out to sea. Some may flow horizontally or diagonally feeding the main rip.
I came across this video that shows what rip current look like so you can better identify them when you are at the beach.
when and where do rip currents occur?
Many people think that rip currents only occur when there is bad weather but that can not be any further from the truth. The formation of rips actually depends on a few different factors:
- Ocean tide
- The shape of the ocean floor
- Surrounding land formation
- Manmade structures
Rips normally occur during low tide when the waves are 2 or more feet high. Rips are deep channels that form in the ocean floor. When you have this combination, rip currents are likely to occur. You also need to be aware of piers and jetty’s as this can be a good location for rips to form as well.
what causes rip currents?
So how do rip currents form? And what are rip currents? When you think of it from a physics perspective, the reason rip current form is because water ultimately wants to travel in the path of least resistance.
When there is a deep trough on the ocean floor, water will naturally flow into it because of gravity. These channels create a quick, easy exit for water to flow back into the sea. Rip currents are the result of this type of water flow.
Waves break onto the beach pushing water towards the shoreline. Once the water reaches the shore, it needs to find a way to get back out to the sea. Therefore, the water drains into these depressions formed by the ocean floor, which are called rips thus creating a strong seaward current.
how to know when you are in a rip current
How do you know when you are in a rip current? You know you are in a rip current when you feel the water pulling you out to sea. Sometimes you may not even notice the rip current until you are actually in it. That’s why so many people are caught off guard and panic.
Related Questions:
how far can a rip current take you?
The average length of a rip current ranges from 100 – 300 feet. Some rip currents can push you out even further.
how fast is a rip current?
The average flow speed of a rip current ranges between 2m/s – 8 m/s. These type of currents can gain speed very quickly over a short period of time.
how wide is a rip current?
The average width of a rip current ranges between 20 – 100 feet. Again this is just an estimate and could be more or less.
should you swim to the left or right?
In order to escape a rip current, you need to swim parallel to the shore. Therefore swimming to the left or right does not matter as long as you are swimming away from the current in one direction.
what type of beaches are most likely to have rip currents?
If your beach has a rocky or reef bottom ocean floor then you need to be very careful swimming. These are the types of beaches most likely to have occurrences of rip currents. You can also find the presence of rip currents with soft, sandy bottom floors.
do rip currents pull you underwater?
No. A rip current will not pull you underwater, which is a common misconception. These type of currents will only pull you away from shore.
are rip currents dangerous?
Yes, a rip current can be very dangerous if you do not know the proper knowledge on how to handle one. The biggest cause of death in a rip current is panicking and fatigue. A person not informed with the proper rip current survival knowledge can easily drown from exhaustion.