Ocean currents present a significant hazard to beachgoers, and knowing the correct response is crucial for safety. What many people commonly refer to as an “undertow” is actually a rip current, a highly dangerous phenomenon responsible for the majority of lifeguard rescues annually. Understanding the nature of this current and memorizing the simple steps for escape is the best preparation for safely enjoying the water.
Understanding Rip Currents: The True Danger
The term “undertow” mistakenly suggests a force pulling a swimmer vertically beneath the water. The true danger is the rip current, which pulls horizontally away from the shore. Rip currents form when large volumes of water, pushed onto the shore by breaking waves, seek the path of least resistance to flow back out to sea. This return flow is funneled through narrow channels, such as breaks in sandbars or near jetties, creating a concentrated river of water.
These currents can move fast, reaching speeds up to eight feet per second. The primary risk is not being pulled under, but the exhaustion that occurs when a swimmer instinctively tries to fight the powerful, seaward pull by swimming directly back to the beach. Fighting a current moving at this velocity rapidly depletes a swimmer’s energy, leading to panic and drowning.
The Three-Step Escape Strategy
The immediate action upon being caught is to remain calm, as panic is the greatest threat to survival. Accept that the current is taking you away from the shore to conserve the energy needed for the escape. Float on your back or calmly tread water to keep your head above the surface, as tense muscles hasten exhaustion.
Do not attempt to swim against the current toward the beach. Swimming directly against the force of a rip current is futile and quickly leads to fatigue. Instead, focus on maintaining buoyancy and signaling for attention by yelling or waving one arm, if possible.
The decisive action is to swim parallel to the shoreline, moving across the width of the current rather than fighting its length. Rip currents are narrow, often ranging from 30 to 100 feet wide, which makes crossing them manageable. Continue swimming parallel until you no longer feel the strong outward pull, indicating you have exited the narrow channel.
Getting Back to Shore Safely
Once you have swum parallel and are no longer being carried outward, determine the safest route back to the beach. Confirm you are free of the current when you feel the influence of incoming waves and the surrounding water is not moving quickly past you. Take a moment to rest and regulate your breathing before starting the return journey.
If you are too far out to swim, calmly float and wait for the current to dissipate, as most rip currents weaken just beyond the line of breaking waves. When swimming back, aim diagonally or at an angle away from the area where you were initially caught. Use the momentum of the incoming breaking waves to assist your progress toward the shore, moving steadily to conserve strength.
If you become too tired to swim the entire distance, immediately switch back to floating or treading water and continue to signal for help. Wave one arm high and yell to draw the attention of lifeguards or people on the beach. Getting rescued is preferable to exhausting yourself and risking a fatal outcome.
How to Avoid Rip Currents
The safest practice is to prevent being caught in a rip current by learning to recognize visual indicators from the shore before entering the water.
Visual Indicators
One obvious sign is a channel of water that appears distinctly choppy, turbulent, or darker than the surrounding surf. This is often sediment and disturbed water being pulled out to sea. Look for a line of foam, seaweed, or floating debris moving steadily away from the beach, which acts as a visible tracer of the current’s path.
A gap in the pattern of incoming breaking waves, where the water looks calmer or flatter, can also signal a rip current. This occurs because the strong outflow disrupts normal wave action.
Safety Precautions
Always check the beach warning flags and pay attention to any posted rip current advisories. The safest option is to swim at a beach patrolled by lifeguards and remain within designated swimming zones. If you have any doubt about the water conditions, stay on the sand.