Marcus Marcius MarcellusJun 25, 2023

HOW TO SPOT A RIP CURRENT:

IT'S WHERE THE WATER LOOKS EASIEST AND SAFEST, with no waves breaking or rolling in.

NEVER ENTER THE SEA HERE.

If you get caught in a rip, DON'T FIGHT IT. You can't swim back to shore against it; you will become exhausted and drown.

Instead, SWIM ACROSS IT, parallel to shore. You'll soon be out of the current and can then easily swim back.

Boost, please, and make sure your friends and family know this when they hit the beach.

Show threadKila
@marcas This is really helpful, thank you. I knew about the ‘swim parallel to shore’ advice, but had no idea how to actually spot a rip current.
Jun 25, 2023 at 4:05pmWeb
Show threadMarcus Marcius MarcellusJun 25, 2023

@greene Thanks, but really, I’m just passing it along, as are all the people boosting this post. It *is* good advice, though!

I grew up very close to a beach and learned this as a little kid. Most people don’t grow up near beaches and, too often, don’t learn it. Hence my eagerness to pass it along — it really can save your life, and it’s stupidly easy (though counterintuitive).

Show threadKilaJun 25, 2023
@marcas Unfamiliarity and lack of information can be so dangerous. I’m a highly experienced river swimmer and thus excellent at handling river currents, but they behave *so* differently from ocean currents, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been in the ocean. Being informed makes me feel a bit less leery of going to a beach for a swim.