Southern Boating
  • Boats
    • Center Consoles
    • Dual Consoles
    • Motoryachts
    • Power Cats
    • Sport Cruisers
    • Tenders & Ribs
  • Destinations
    • Bahamas
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • U.S. Atlantic
    • U.S. Gulf
  • Engines
    • Engine Buyers Guide
  • Maintenance
    • DIY
  • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • News
    • Fishing
    • Food
      • Menus
      • Drinks
      • Appetizers
      • Entrées
      • Dessert
      • Holiday
  • Gear
  • Shop
  • Digital Edition
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • Boats
    • Center Consoles
    • Dual Consoles
    • Motoryachts
    • Power Cats
    • Sport Cruisers
    • Tenders & Ribs
  • Destinations
    • Bahamas
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • U.S. Atlantic
    • U.S. Gulf
  • Engines
    • Engine Buyers Guide
  • Maintenance
    • DIY
  • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • News
    • Fishing
    • Food
      • Menus
      • Drinks
      • Appetizers
      • Entrées
      • Dessert
      • Holiday
  • Gear
  • Shop
  • Digital Edition
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Southern Boating
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle Sea Watch
an image of child plaing in the water Rip Currents

Rip Currents

June 3, 2018
in Sea Watch
0
605
SHARES
3.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare via Email

Rip Currents: Life or Death

If you’ve heard warnings of possible rip currents, take them seriously!

Last year in the United States, 62 people perished due to rip currents. That’s more deaths than caused by hurricanes, tornadoes or lightning. Furthermore, tens of thousands of people require rescue by lifeguards from these extremely dangerous situations each year. In fact, 80 percent of rescues performed by lifeguards are in rip current events according to the U.S. Lifesaving Association.

What causes a rip current?

When waves continuously come ashore along a beach, circulations are created in the water. Some of the water will move parallel to the coastline, and some of it will move back out to sea in a return flow. In calmer conditions, this return flow is fairly weak and inconsequential, but if waves are higher and the period between waves decreases (typically, but not always, related to a stronger onshore wind), this return flow can become concentrated like a jet stream in the atmosphere and produce a rip current.

Why they’re dangerous

Rip currents are more common where there is an obstruction to the water flow along the shore such as a pier, jetty, groin, or reef. One of the worst situations occurs when there is a sandbar just off and parallel to the shoreline, which will block the return flow of water. If a breach or break occurs in the sandbar, returning water channels through it, accelerating as it goes.

Rip current speeds are typically in the 1 to 2 feet-per-second range (.7 to 1.4 mph) but have been measured as fast as 8 feet per second (5.5 mph)—faster than Olympic swimmers. Rip currents vary in width from as narrow as 10 to 20 feet to several hundred feet across. They will extend out from the beach past where the waves are breaking, anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand feet where they will dissipate. Rip currents can and do occur on any beach where there are breaking waves, even along the shores of the Great Lakes.

The summer months see the most rip current incidents because of increased beach usage and the significant majority of victims are young men. With miles of inviting beaches and temperatures that promote outdoor activities much of the year, Florida leads the country in rip current fatalities with an average of nearly 20 drownings per year. The states of North Carolina and Texas follow. Puerto Rico also had 11 victims in 2017, according to statistics from the National Weather Service (NWS). The NWS acknowledges that rip current fatalities may be underestimated.

Check before diving in

If you’re cruising in the U.S., check the rip current status in your area via the NWS, which includes a beach forecast on weather.gov as well as surf forecasts on ripcurrents.noaa.gov/forecasts.shtml. Local media outlets also typically carry beach forecasts and include the rip current risk forecast. Rip current forecasts are shown as Low (unlikely), Moderate (possible), or High (Life-threatening rip currents likely). Going to a beach area with lifeguards present offers the most protection; check with them to learn if rip currents are occurring or expected.

When visiting beaches without lifeguards, take extra time to assess for rip currents. For example, anything floating, such as seaweed or debris is moving quickly out to sea. That  is an indicator that rip currents may be present. Another indicator is an area where the water color is decidedly different from its surroundings, such as a break in a sandbar, a break in the incoming waves or a noticeable channel where the water is churning or choppy. Unfortunately, these indicators may not be readily apparent from the beach or water level. Dangerous rip currents can go undetected by a swimmer, especially when they’re not looking for them.

What to do

If you are caught in a rip current, don’t panic. The danger of rip currents is not that they will pull you under, which is what undertow does. Rip currents will pull non-swimmers and weak swimmers out to sea and into deeper water where they will tire quickly. Even strong swimmers will be in danger if they try to swim against the flow. The key is to swim parallel to the shoreline. Rip currents aren’t that wide, and even if you are swept out beyond the breakers, rip currents don’t extend much further. A caught swimmer will eventually break free as long as they remain calm and just float or tread water while calling for help. (This is one reason to swim where a lifeguard is on duty.)

If you see someone in trouble, get help from a lifeguard. When possible, get a flotation device to the person. If nothing else, try talking to them to calm them down while giving instructions for reaching safety. Never attempt to rescue someone unless properly trained. Numerous people have drowned while attempting to save someone else. Most of all, remain calm and swim on.

By Ed Brotak, Southern Boating

Subscribe to the print magazine | $29.95 for 12 issues
June 2018
Tags: beachRip Currentrip tidesafetysea watchweather
Previous Post

Scandvik Lighting’s Surface Mount Dome Lights

Next Post

Columbia’s Bahama Vent Shoe

Next Post
Columbia's Bahama Vent Shoe

Columbia's Bahama Vent Shoe

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Nordhavn 41 – 2021 Long Range Cruisers Roundup

Nordhavn 41 – 2021 Long Range Cruisers Roundup

June 8, 2021
3.9k
Horizon Yachts FD110 – 2022 FLIBS Preview

Horizon Yachts FD110 – 2022 FLIBS Preview

October 24, 2022
3.3k

Don't miss it

Two Yanmar Marine products with a green to white gradient background
Engines

Yanmar Marine on the Advance Powers Innovation in Recreational Tech

May 6, 2025
3.3k
A man holds a clean Marine AC pipe
DIY

DIY Marine AC Maintenance Advice: How to Stay Cool on Board

May 6, 2025
3.3k
A refit Hatteras 41C exiting a dock
Haul-Out Guide

This Hatteras 41C Refit Was Worth Every Dollar: Budget Breakdown + Real Advice

April 29, 2025
3.9k
Two men hold up a Redfish
Fishing

How I Missed Out On A Big Fish – Does Perfect Timing Matter?

April 29, 2025
3.3k
Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
Bahamas

Enjoy Trails, Views & Ruins in the Exumas Cays Land and Sea Park

April 29, 2025
3.4k
One of 2025's best RIB boats cutting across water
Boats

Exploring the Best: Some of 2025’s Most Impressive RIBs & Tenders

April 22, 2025
3.8k
Facebook Instagram TikTok Youtube LinkedIn

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Terms Of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage My Subscription
logo

1591 E. Atlantic Blvd, 2nd Floor
Pompano Beach, FL 33060
Office: +1 (954) 522-5515
Fax: +1 (954) 522-2260
Contact us: info@southernboating.com


Newsletter

* indicates required

© 2024 Southern Boating Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Boats
    • Center Consoles
    • Dual Consoles
    • Motoryachts
    • Power Cats
    • Sport Cruisers
    • Tenders & Ribs
  • Destinations
    • Bahamas
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • U.S. Atlantic
    • U.S. Gulf
  • Engines
    • Engine Buyers Guide
  • Maintenance
    • DIY
  • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • News
    • Fishing
    • Food
    • Drinks
    • Appetizers
    • Entrées
    • Dessert
    • Holiday
  • Gear
  • Shop
  • Digital Edition
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

© 2024 Southern Boating Media

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Terms Of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage My Subscription
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Terms Of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Manage My Subscription