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RIP CURRENTS
Information on this page is from http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov
Warning Flags...
Z-96 wants you to be safe on our beaches. Always check swim warning flags before entering the water. Although most beaches have adopted this new "5 flag" system, some may still use the traditional 3 flag system.
GREEN FLAGS (Blue-old system) - Conditons are favorable
YELLOW FLAGS - Medium hazard
RED FLAGS - High hazard
PURPLE FLAGS - Marine pests are present
DOUBLE RED FLAGS - Water is closed
Rip Currents...
Rip currents occur around the world at "surf" beaches, including both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico. Erroneously called undertows and rip tides, these currents can last from a few minutes to a few hours, while other, more permanent ones, associated with groins or jetties, may last days.
Rip currents can be killers. If you are caught in one, how you respond could make the difference between life and death.
How They Form...
Unlike undertows, rip currents are shallow water processes that do not pull a person under. They form when water, piled against the shore, begins to return to deeper water. Typically, strong wind and swell waves push water over a sandbar allowing excess water to collect. Eventually, the excess water starts to return seaward through low areas in the sandbar, "ripping" an opening.
Near the beach, rip currents are narrow (30-60 feet wide) with increasing width as they extend up to 1000 feet offshore. The velocity of the water can be as high as 5 mph, which is faster than an Olympic swimmer. |
How To Spot Them...
Rip currents can be readily seen from the shore. If the current has recently formed, you will see murky water (as compared to the surrounding water) due to sediment mixing as a channel is opened in the sandbar. However, if the rip current has lasted a long time, the color of the water will appear darker (compared to the surrounding water color) due to the channel carved by the flowing water.
Also, you can spot a rip current by looking for objects or foam moving steadily seaward. Wave heights are also lower and choppier in rip currents. Wearing polarized sunglasses can aid in locating rip currents by cutting the glare.
Finally, they can be easily seen by the local beach patrol from their elevated towers. Watch for their posted flags or signs warning you of the danger. |
How To Survive Them...
Since rip currents are NOT undertows, you can be pulled away from the shore but not pulled under the water. The most common mistake drowning victims make is to panic and try to swim directly toward the shore. Even the best Olympic swimmers are not able to successfully swim toward shore in the strongest rip currents.
What to do...
- Know how to swim.
- Always swim at guarded beaches and heed the beach patrol.
- Remain calm. If caught in a rip current remember it will not pull you under.
- Swim out of the current. Since the currents are relatively narrow, you can escape the flow by swimming parallel to the shore until you break free, then swim diagonally toward the shore.
- Float if you cannot swim out of the current. Float until it dissipates, then swim diagonally toward the shore or float and summon the beach patrol by waving your hands.
- Use a flotation device if you attempt to rescue someone.
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Additional Resources...
NWS Melbourne, FL
East Central Florida Rip Current Program
NWS Wilmington, NC
Rip Currents
UF Research:
Rip currents may hang around for weeks, months
United States Lifesaving Association:
Rip Currents - Rivers Through The Surf
USA Today
Staying safe around rip currents |
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