It's important to know how to recognize a rip current. If you're lucky, the rip currents will be identified with a sign or marker on the beach.
A rip current is a narrow channel of deeper water that funnels through sandbars on either side. As the waves crash to the shore, the water recedes rapidly through the deeper channel, creating a dangerous current.
In this photo, the first clue are the wave breaks on the left and right sides, created by the sandbars, but no wave breaks in the center, where the rip current is. The shallow water is lighter and the deeper water is darker.
Lets look at this in motion. Again, minimal wave breaks in the center, where the water appears darker.
Closer up, you can see the ripples of the rip current flowing in the opposite direction as the breaking waves. Even in shallow water where kids play, the current can be strong enough to be swept away.
If you are caught in a rip current, don't fight it. Stay calm, conserve your energy, and swim parallel to the shore until you reach shallower water, where you can then swim back to shore.
So be aware of where the rip currents are and know where and where not to swim.
15 сен 2024
