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Rip currents: The ocean's deadliest trick


Claire.

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Rip Currents: The Ocean's Deadliest Trick

Every year, more than 100 beachgoers on average drown due to these strong river-like channels of water that pull swimmers away from the shore, according to the U.S. Lifesaving Association (USLA). And that's just in the United States. Nearly half of all rescues made by lifeguards at ocean beaches are related to rip currents, according to the USLA. Sharks typically kill about 6 people a year globally.

Read more: Live Science

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It's a shame because these rip currents are quite easy to get out of, assuming a fundamental ability/knowledge of swimming. All you do is swim parallel to the shoreline until you get out of the "path".

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Also, rips can be helpful and good for surfers.

It's so much easier paddling out in rips, and they can form good sand banks for better waves. 

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On 5/24/2017 at 3:19 PM, Nuclear Wessel said:

It's a shame because these rip currents are quite easy to get out of, assuming a fundamental ability/knowledge of swimming. All you do is swim parallel to the shoreline until you get out of the "path".

Me and some friends got caught in a riptide without even noticing once.  We were just enjoying the ocean when all of a sudden we heard a megaphone behind us yelling, "Do you need assistance!?" or something along those lines from the life/coastguards.  It was then we looked back and noticed just how far away the shore was.  Some of us got in the boat, some of us just swam back.

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On 5/24/2017 at 3:19 PM, Nuclear Wessel said:

It's a shame because these rip currents are quite easy to get out of, assuming a fundamental ability/knowledge of swimming. All you do is swim parallel to the shoreline until you get out of the "path".

Here on our piece of the gulf coast, we lose at least a couple of tourists each year to the rip.  The signs, flags and warnings don't seem to get the attention of young or old when they are on vacation and are usually drinking.  It's a recurring tragedy and it's completely avoidable.  Last week we had a college athlete who drowned in the rip.  I wish the local businesses, especially the one's that sell or serve alcohol, would create an effective ad campaign to educate these young people.  It's a fine line between educating and scaring away business though.  The water here is beautiful and most of the time it's perfectly safe for swimmers who are sober.  When the rip conditions prevail, the red flags are out and it's a deadly serious warning.

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6 minutes ago, and then said:

Here on our piece of the gulf coast, we lose at least a couple of tourists each year to the rip.  The signs, flags and warnings don't seem to get the attention of young or old when they are on vacation and are usually drinking.  It's a recurring tragedy and it's completely avoidable.  Last week we had a college athlete who drowned in the rip.  I wish the local businesses, especially the one's that sell or serve alcohol, would create an effective ad campaign to educate these young people.  It's a fine line between educating and scaring away business though.  The water here is beautiful and most of the time it's perfectly safe for swimmers who are sober.  When the rip conditions prevail, the red flags are out and it's a deadly serious warning.

You keep referring to it as 'the rip', do you have a geological area called 'the rip', or do you just refer to rips as 'the rip'? Just curious as I tried to google it and couldn't find anything. 

Here, near Melbourne at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, there is an area of water called 'The Rip' as it experiences very strong currents due to tidal changes and the water entering/exiting the bay. Different from rips at surf beaches of course. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rip

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It's just what I've always called the rip currents near beaches where I live.  Some people refer to it as a "rip tide" but it's not a true tide, of course.  I've only gotten caught in it once and I recognized it immediately.  I must have been near an edge of it because I didn't have far to swim to be free of the pulling.  Even at that it was a bit scary.  I can only imagine being unaware of it and possibly a little drunk and what struggling to get directly back to shore would have been like.  

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15 hours ago, and then said:

It's just what I've always called the rip currents near beaches where I live.  Some people refer to it as a "rip tide" but it's not a true tide, of course.  I've only gotten caught in it once and I recognized it immediately.  I must have been near an edge of it because I didn't have far to swim to be free of the pulling.  Even at that it was a bit scary.  I can only imagine being unaware of it and possibly a little drunk and what struggling to get directly back to shore would have been like.  

Glad you got out! 

Without a floatation device, or not being a confident ocean swimmer, it's very easy to panic and get into real trouble.

Edited by Timonthy
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