A riptide or rip current is a long, thin band of water that pulls everything in this band away from the shore and out to sea. While it is scary to lose control, especially in a body of water, the key to surviving a riptide is to remain calm.
A riptide can occur at the beach, in a lagoon or within an inland marina where water flows out to the ocean during ebb tide.
According to science.howstuffworks.com, rip tides or currents move on the surface of the water and pull you out into the ocean but not underneath the water. If however, you panic and try to fight against the current, you could end up being pulled along the ocean floor.
You should never fight against the current, as you will exert a lot of energy, increasing your chances of drowning. While it is scary getting caught in a riptide, if you remain calm and follow the instructions below, you have a strong chance of getting out of the current.
Do’s and Dont’s of a riptide:
– Remain calm, always. You cannot swim against a riptide back to shore, so don’t try.
– When the pull if the current starts to lessen, begin to swim parallel to the shore line. According to Popular Mechanics, riptides are usually about 30 metres wide, so you should be able to cross this distance.
– If you can’t manage to swim out of the riptide, float on your back and wait for the riptide to take you out to sea until you’re beyond the pull of the current completely, which is usually about 45-90 metres.
– Once you no longer feel the pull of the current, swim parallel to the shore line and then swim back to shore, see the video below for a demonstration of this:
It is important to be aware of the conditions of the weather where you want to swim. Strong winds can be indicative of a riptide. Watch the video below to see how to identify a riptide.
Image: Unsplash
