One minute you’re floating peacefully in the waves, the summer sun warming your salty skin. The next thing you know, you’re exhausted and can’t get back to shore. You may not know it, but you’re facing one of the most dangerous hazards at the beach: a riptide.
Riptides, or rip currents, are responsible for more than 100 deaths every year. Knowing how to escape one could save your life.
First, even though the current is often called a riptide or undertow, it is not a tide, nor does it pull you under. Waves break near the shoreline strongly in some locations and weakly in others, causing pockets of circulating water, or riptides.
They usually form near sandbars or structures in the water. Look for an area of water with notably different color, a break in the incoming wave pattern, or churning, choppy water.
A riptide can move as fast as eight feet per second — faster than an Olympic swimmer. Weak swimmers are no match.
Never swim alone or at beaches without a lifeguard. The chance that a person will drown at a beach protected by lifeguards is just one in 18 million, so lifeguards are a solid bet.
If you find yourself struggling in the ocean, here is what to do.
Stay calm, conserve energy. Most swimmers caught in a riptide don’t realize it and exhaust themselves as they try to reach the shore.
Swim parallel to the shoreline and you will eventually be released from the riptide’s pull. When that happens, you can make your way in.
If you’re too tired or remain stuck, wave and shout for a lifeguard. Don’t attempt to rescue a struggling swimmer unless you’re an accomplished swimmer.
Spending a day at the beach is a joy of summer. Just be smart about it.