Can you survive a rip current?

Can you survive a rip current?

Trying to swim against a rip current will only use up your energy; energy you need to survive and escape the rip current. Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current's pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.

Do rip currents pull you underwater?

How they work. A common perception is that rip currents pull swimmers underwater; in reality, they're strong, narrow currents that flow away from the beach. Rip currents can also occur at spots where there's a break in a sandbar; there, water is funneled out to sea. These channels in sandbars lie just off the beach.

What do you do if you get caught in a rip?

If you do get caught in a rip current, the best thing you can do is stay calm. It's not going to pull you underwater, it's just going to pull you away from shore. Call and wave for help. You want to float, and you don't want to swim back to shore against the rip current because it will just tire you out.

How does a rip tide work?

A rip current forms because wind and breaking waves push surface water towards the land, and this causes a slight rise in the water level along the shore. This excess water will tend to flow back to the open water via the route of least resistance.