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Rip currents

Surfing / Popular

Spot rips, escape them, and use them to paddle out.

What coaches agree on

  • A rip current usually shows up as a calmer, darker channel where the waves aren't breaking, sandwiched between areas of breaking waves, often with foam or discolored sand flowing out through it.
  • The single safest way to avoid trouble with rip currents is to swim at a lifeguarded beach, between the red and yellow flags.
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  • Surfers can use a rip's channel to paddle out past the breaking waves quickly, with far less effort than fighting through the whitewater.

Common mistakes

  • Panicking and fighting to swim straight back against the current - instead of swimming sideways across it or floating - is what exhausts swimmers and actually causes most rip-current drownings, not the current itself.
  • Bystanders who rush into the water without a flotation device to attempt a rescue, including forming a human chain, often get caught in the rip themselves and drown alongside the person they were trying to save.
How to Spot a Rip Current
Beginner

How to Spot a Rip Current

Coach's take: Clear, specific signs to look for, from a credible authority - solid safety teaching.

3.8
Navigating Rip Currents
Beginner

Navigating Rip Currents

Coach's take: Real lifeguard expertise applied practically — excellent teaching.

3.6