How to Spot a Rip Current: Beach Flag Awareness

In the last two weeks, more than 2 dozen people have been pulled from Gulf waters due to strong rip currents. Four people have drown.

What is a riptide or rip current?

In this picture (far right) you can see where the water is bubbling off shore behind the waves as they break. The water around the bubbles is lighter in color from the sand being pulled up.  Then, just slightly to the left and steps away from where a child plays in the surf, you can see where the water is trying to pull out while more waves are breaking on both sides and a trail of  bubbles off shore. Chances are that both of these areas were rip currents. (Notice the double red flags at the bottom-middle of the picture.)

Typically, a rip current forms when the tide is rougher than usual and breaks over a sand bar, sucking a canal out of the sand. When the water rolls over that sand bar again, there is a tunneling effect. Water is trying to pull out even as it is pushing in. If you are captured in that pull, it is almost impossible to break free and if you fight it, you will drown.

If you want to survive, you have to allow the rip current to pull you out. Then, swim parallel to the shore before swimming back in to the sand.

A common misconception is that you have to be deep to be captured in a rip current. Actually, you can be ankle deep and feel the sand pulled out from under your feet when a wave breaks. The suction can be extremely strong.

Here you can see the struggle between the water pulling out and pushing in at the same time. What would appear to be a peaceful spot between two waves could possibly be a rip current as you can see where the sand is being pulled out behind the channel of surf.

How do you know when there is a rip current?

Unless you are practiced at spotting rip currents, you probably will never know one even if you saw it. Honestly, I am not even 100% sure that what I photographed was indeed a rip current. However, four people were pulled from the water within a mile (two right where I took the pictures) on this day. Each was a tourist from out of state.

That is why beach flags are extremely important and paying attention to their meanings can save your life.

DOWNLOAD: Beach Flag Awareness Printable PDF