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Weather Safety Tips - Rip Currents
- Learn how to swim.
- If possible, always swim at beaches guarded by the Beach Patrol
and heed their advice.
- Do not overestimate your swimming ability and take chances.
- Do not get caught in a rip current while trying to save someone
else. Throw them a flotation device and get help from the Beach
Patrol.
- If caught in a rip current, do not panic! Wave for help in
the direction of the Beach Patrol.
- Try to escape a rip current by swimming sideways across the
current (parallel to the shore).
- As an alternative, let the rip current carry you 50 to 100
yards from the shore (to break free from the current), then swim
back to shore at an angle away from the rip current.
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View from the beach of a rip current
breaker zone
Notice the rip current channel (between the arrows). It
can be identified by the lower height of the breaking waves
and the band of foam.
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Aerial view of a rip current
The two main parts of a rip current are identifiable by
the brown sediment plume. The "neck" of the rip
current (point A) is where the current is
narrowest and fastest, while the "head" (point
B) is where the current broadens and slows.
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Another aerial view of rip currents Two
rip current channels are visible in the surf zone.
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Aerial view of rip current channels
Several channels (darker areas) cut into the sea bottom by
rip currents are visible along the shoreline.
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