Rip Tide/ Rip Current: Understanding and Surviving This Phenomenon

As the summer approaches New York City, staying cool is the only relief anyone wants to experience. But I beat very few of you if any, including myself, know that the week of June 5-11, 2011, was the “Rip Current: Break the Grip of the Rip®” Awareness week. Last year in New York City, ironically, Rip Tides/ Rip Currents caused several swimmers to loss their lives or nearly drown at several nearby beaches. The scary fact to the above is that most drownings are due to exhaustion while fighting a Rip Tide/ Rip Currant.

The point of this blog is to educate you and your family about this natural occurrence in the ocean; most of all, how to deal with and survive if you get caught in a Rip Tide/ Rip Currant. Unfortunately, I must state some negative and frightening facts so you understand the force of Mother Nature. Rip Tides/Rip Currents are powerful channels of water flowing away from the shore. To visualize what it looks like, imagine two “C’s” next to each other and flipping one so the mouth of both are facing outward. The water that runs between the two “C’s” is where the Rip Tide/ Rip Currant happen. Rip Tides/ Rip Currents do not pull a swimmer under water; actually, it carries a swimmer away from the shore. The strongest point of Rip Tides/ Rip Currents is located at the surface where the surf is rough, dampening incoming waves that lead to an illusion of calm water.

Your response to being caught in a Rip Tide/ Rip Current may make the difference between life and death to be very honest. If you are caught in a Rip Tide/ Rip Current here’s what you must do:

1. DO NOT attempt to swim back to the shore directly against the Rip Tide/ Rip Current.
2. REMAIN CALM, CONSERVE ENERGY, and THINK CLEARLY
3. Think of a Rip Tide/ Rip Current as a treadmill that won’t turn off. You must step off to the side to get off the treadmill.
4. Swim out of a Rip Tide/ Rip Current by directly following the shoreline (swim parallel). When out of the Rip Tide/ Rip Current, swim at an angle away from the Rip Tide/ Rip Current towards the shore.
5. If you are unable to swim out of the Rip Tide/ Rip Current, FLOAT, RELAX, and CALMLY TREAD WATER to conserve energy. When you are out of the Rip Tide/ Rip Current, swim to the shore at an angle.
6. If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving arms and yelling for help.

If you see someone in trouble, don’t become a victim too:

1. Get help from a lifeguard
2. If a lifeguard is not available, call 911
3. Throw the Rip Tide/ Rip Current swimmer something that floats - a life jacket, a cooler, an inflatable ball, or noodle.
4. If you understand how to escape a Rip Tide/ Rip Current, yell out instructions.
5. Remember, MANY PEOPLE DROWN WHILE TRYING TO SAVE SOMEONE ELSE FROM A RIP TIDE/ RIP CURRENT.

The beach and ocean are one of the most magnificent creations and sources of enjoyment for many. But as any good thing, caution must be used at all times. The best advice in addition to the information above to survive a Rip Tide/ Rip Current is simple:

1. Know how to swim
2. Never swim alone
3. If in doubt, don’t go in the water

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