Why should you swim parallel to the shore if you are caught in a riptide?

You can also swim parallel to the shore to escape the rip current. This will allow more time for you to be rescued or for you to swim back to shore once the current eases. Rip currents stay close to shore and usually break up just beyond the line of breaking waves.

How far out do you have to be to get caught in a riptide?

Rip currents are generally no wider than about 15 m (16.4 yards), so you only need to swim a short distance to try and get out of the current. Once out of it, you should be able to stand up and make your way back to shore in the areas where you can see breaking waves.

What does it mean to swim parallel to the shore?

Swimmers familiar with rips might try swimming parallel to escape. That means that by swimming parallel to the shore—something signs at nearly every popular beach in the country advise—the swimmer has a 50/50 chance of paddling against the deadly current.

What happens if you get stuck in a riptide?

If you’re caught in a rip current, the first thing to do is remain calm. A rip current won’t pull you underwater. It’ll just pull you away from shore. If you feel that you’re able to swim, do so parallel to the shore until you’re out of the current and then swim back to shore at an angle.

What is the importance of knowing how do you swim in the event of Riptide?

No, rip currents don’t pull you under the water, but they will carry you away from shore. Trying to fight against them can lead to exhaustion, putting your life in danger. That’s why it’s important to swim parallel to the rip current and the shore instead of trying to swim out of it by going towards the shore.

Is a riptide the same as an undertow?

Undertow occurs along the entire beach face during times of large breaking waves, whereas rip currents are periodical at distinct locations. Riptides occur at inlets every day.

How far can a rip take you?

“That’s why no one bit of advice we give you can guarantee your safety. “Rips have been known to take people 400 metres offshore, whereas some have only taken them a few metres, and some of them have circulated back into the surf break and they’ve been able to get in.”

How do you spot a riptide?

But a simple trick to spot rip currents is to watch for the patterns of wave breaking visible from the shore. Seen from a high vantage point such as a cliff above a beach, the contrast of intense white foam where waves are breaking versus the flat, dark waters of the rip current creates a characteristic pattern.

How do you swim parallel to the shore?

Swim toward the waves, and be sure to move parallel to the shore instead of directly towards it. Some researchers advise against swimming parallel to shore. Instead, they recommend simply floating to the end of the current, which may take about 3 minutes. Swimming parallel to shore is the official recommendation.

What causes undertow?

When big waves break on the beach, a large uprush and backwash of water and sand are generated; this seaward-flowing water/sand mixture is pulled strongly into the next breaking wave. Beachgoers feel like they are being sucked underwater when the wave breaks over their head – this is an undertow.

Can you swim out of a riptide?

Generally speaking, a riptide is less than 100 ft. wide, so swimming beyond it should not be too difficult. If you cannot swim out of the riptide, float on your back and allow the riptide to take you away from shore until you are beyond the pull of the current. Rip currents generally subside 50 to 100 yards from shore.

Can a life jacket save you from an undertow?

But you have to dive under the breaking wave crests or you make no progress swimming against the surf. If you wear a life jacket in that situation, it won’t let you dive under.

Can you swim to shore from a riptide?

Most riptide deaths are not caused by the tides themselves. People often become exhausted struggling against the current, and cannot make it back to shore. Do not swim toward shore. You will be fighting the current, and you will lose. Swim parallel to shore, across the current.

What happens if you swim against a rip current?

Trying to swim against it can lead to exhaustion and drowning. Swim parallel to shore to escape the current. Most rip currents are between 30 and 100 feet (9.1 and 30.5 m) wide. Look for the nearest breaking waves; they indicate the current’s edge.

How many people drown in rip currents each year?

Over 100 people drown in rip currents every year. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that rip currents are so very easy to avoid, and very easy to escape if you do happen to get caught up in one. Rip currents are sometimes mistakenly referred to as riptides and undertow.

Why are rip currents sometimes mistaken for Riptides?

Rip currents are sometimes mistakenly referred to as riptides and undertow. These names are misnomers because although rip currents pull swimmers away from shore they have nothing to do with the tides and they do not pull swimmers under.