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Home  Education  Currents  Rip Currents
  << Back These images of rip currents were taken at public  swimming beaches. Rip currents are powerful, channeled currents that  flow away from shore and can occur at any beach with breaking waves.  Rip currents can be killers and account for over 80% of rescues  performed by surf beach lifeguards. The greatest precaution that you can take is to  recognize the danger of rip currents and only swim at beaches with  lifeguards on duty. If you get caught in a rip current, never fight  against it. Remain calm to conserve your energy. Think of the rip  current like a treadmill that can't be turned off, and which you need  to step to the side of the treadmill to get off. To escape a rip  current, swim in a direction parallel to the shoreline. When out of the  current, swim at an angle--away from the current--towards shore. If you  can't swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When  out of the current, swim towards shore. For more information go to the  NOAA Rip Current Safety Web site: http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov.


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