If you are one of the many people who love to head to the seaside to have fun in the sun at the beach, then you will certainly want to have a good understanding of beach safety. If you do anything by the water then you should know about beach safety and rip currents to keep yourself safe when out on the water. This is because rip currents can be extremely dangerous and if you do not understand how they work, you can end up injured or worse, there can be loss of life. The sea has tremendously powerful currents and within 24 hours there are two high tides as well as two low tides. Knowing this and keeping track of the tides and how they work is especially important if you surf.
A rip current is very strong water current that flows towards the sea from the shore, typically incorporating the surf line. These current are incredibly fast and can gain up to speeds of eight feet per second. They can happen at any beach in any area and there is no specific area that they will occur, this is why you should be very aware of beach safety at all times. Rip currents can drag swimmers and surfers under the water within seconds, and will drag you away from the beach making it difficult to make it back to shore. Eventually you will die from drowning as you will be exhausted from attempting to swim back to shore.
Rip currents happen frequently at most beaches and swimmers should always be cautious when in the water. You may be surprised to know that even if you are standing in water that is waist deep you are at as much risk as someone who is in deeper water. Surfers on the other hand use the rip current to their advantage to push themselves past the breakers. If you know how the currents function, then this can be of great help to you. Respect the power of the sea and learn some easy beach safety tips and make sure you are always swimming where lifeguards can see you as they make sure that beach safety is of the up most importance. Doing the right things if you are stuck in a rip tide is always extremely important. Knowing what to do can save your life, and therefore some simple knowledge of rip currents can help.
These currents are produced by the wind which pushes the water towards the shore. The water builds up and needs to find a place to go and this causes what is known as the rip current affect. Many individuals believe that it is the current beneath the water that is the most powerful; however it is often the surface water that has the more powerful current. Surf conditions will frequently have powerful rip currents and they are often more powerful than the surf, and when it is windy then there is a great chance that there will be a rip current. Monitoring the angles of the waves will help you tell if there is a chance of a rip current coming on.
Sometimes rip currents can be spotted, although they are difficult to see, you may be lucky and recognize the signs. You need to look out for a channel of churning water, it will choppy and the sea will be a different color in that area. You will also notice that the water will be moving out to sea and not into the shore line and it will carry debris with it. If you do happen to get caught in a rip current you should try to remain calm. Although your first instinct is to try to swim to shore, this will be really difficult and take all of your strength trying to swim against the rip current. Rip currents are stronger than even very strong swimmers so trying to do this won’t work.
You must attempt to swim parallel to the shore, until you have passed the rip current, and once you have done that you will then be able to swim back to shore. If you get tired then you can tread water and float as the tide will pull you back in to shore. If you stay calm when stuck in a rip tide then you can often swim your way out. These currents will not drag you under, but they will pull you further out to sea where you will be terrified and soon tire out. If you use common sense when out at the beach, and you know much about beach safety, then you will be able to see the signs if a strong rip current was to come about. If you decide to swim knowing this, then make sure you know about all the risks and how to get yourself out of a potentially dangerous situation if one should arise.