How Far Can A Rip Current Take You?

Swimming in the ocean is a wonderful experience. Most people view it as something everyone should do at least once in their lives. Although recreation activities in the sea are fun, it must be remembered that many dangers accompany vast amounts of water. One of these is rip currents which can carry you out into the ocean.

Rip currents generally take you out into the ocean just beyond the breakers. At this point, most rip currents lose energy, and some circulate the water back towards the beach. Some strong rip currents may take you out several hundred yards into the ocean, but this is uncommon.

Some people that use the beach may be aware of the dangers of rip currents, but others are completely oblivious. It is essential to know how rip currents work and what to do if caught in one.

How Far Will A Rip Current Take Me Out To Sea?

Rip currents are greatly feared, and they are responsible for many drownings in the ocean. Some people believe that rip currents will take them very far out to sea, and they will be unable to swim back to shore.

Most rip currents will only take you to just past the breakers. The rip current loses energy past the surf zone, and you will no longer be swept along by the immensely strong stream of water.

The surf zone width varies among beaches and is influenced by weather conditions. In some beaches, surf zones may be limited to 165 feet (50 meters), while in others, the surf zone may be much broader.

Occasionally rip currents may be exceptionally strong and take you several hundred meters out to sea. This is unusual, and generally, there would be beach warnings that advise you of this level of rip current.

These powerful rip currents are associated with fierce storms, so it is unlikely that you will be swimming in the ocean when they are present.

Will A Rip Current Pull Me Under The Water?

Rip currents are often confused with undertow, but they are different coastal features. An undertow is the backwash of water towards the ocean. The slope of the beach determines the strength. It occurs below the water's surface and can pull you under if it is strong.

A riptide is a stream of water that flows back out to sea. The same flow strength is present at all depths of the rip current, and therefore there is no powerful force to pull you under the water.

How Does A Rip Current Take You Out To The Ocean?

There are various kinds of rip currents associated with beach geography, artificial structures, and weather phenomena that influence waves.

Coastal waves push vast amounts of water up onto the beach. This water must go somewhere, and as beaches all have some slope, the water returns to the sea. Water always chooses the easiest route to flow.

There are shallow troughs or depressions on the sea bed on many beaches that allow the water to flow back to the sea easily. Sand bars are typical on the ocean floor near beaches. A break or gap in the sand bars creates a passage that allows the water to stream through.

Rip currents occur when the water returning to the ocean takes the path of least resistance and flows through a narrow channel in a strong current back to the sea. This narrow channel is known as the neck of the rip.

_{How a rip current works; image by National Weather Service, Wilmington, NC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons}

Once the narrow channel widens, the rip current spreads out into an area known as the current head. This broadening causes the water energy to dissipate, and the current loses its strength. This area generally coincides with the point where waves begin to break.

Do Rip Currents Form Around Jetties And Piers?

Manufactured structures such as jetties and piers interfere with wave flow and the deposition of sand on the seabed. This makes the area around these structures perfect for rip current formation.

Will A Flash Rip Current Take You Out To Sea?

Flash rip currents occur when there are rapidly changing wave heights, steeply plunging waves, and large swells. Immense volumes of water arrive on the beach in a short amount of time, and temporary rip currents form.

Flash rips usually only last three to five minutes. They can pull many unsuspecting swimmers out to sea because of their sudden development. People are surprised as the rip occurs rapidly in an area that did not have any rip current before.

Flash rips may be responsible for causing many people to be swept out to sea at once, requiring a mass rescue effort. The BBC reported a flash rip current that developed on Bournemouth Pier Beach on the Dorset coast in August 2021. Seventeen people had to be rescued after being suddenly swept out to sea by a flash rip current.

What Is The Best Survival Tactic If Caught In A Rip Current?

If you are caught in a rip current, the most crucial factor is to remain calm. Secondly, do not fight the rip current and swim back to shore against the flow. The water is far stronger and will exhaust you. Panicking and exhaustion are the two factors that lead to people drowning when caught in rip currents.

Rip currents travel up to 8 feet per second, which means you will be moving rapidly if you get caught in a rip. This speed is what causes most people to panic. If you need help, tread water and put your hand in the air to attract the attention of the lifeguards.

You can take two approaches to get out of a rip current. The first is to try and swim parallel to the shore. Many rip currents are relatively narrow, and it is possible that swimming a few meters parallel to the beach will take you out of the current.

You may not be capable of swimming precisely parallel due to the water strength. If you aim to swim at a diagonal facing towards the ocean, you may swim out. Planning ahead and swimming with fins can help give you enough swimming power.

_{Fins can give you a little extra power when swimming in the ocean; Image courtesy of Amazon.com}

But if the rip is too strong, you are tired, or not a powerful enough swimmer; you need to consider another tactic.

Considering that the rip current loses energy just past the breakers, it may be wisest to float and allow the rip to take you out. Once the current has dissipated, you can swim back to shore, catching the waves as you go.

Some researchers have shown that floating and following the rip current and subsequent sea currents will return you to shore. The circular pattern of ocean water flowing back up to the beach will eventually deposit you on land again.

Summary

Rip currents generally take you out past the surf before losing their energy. Keeping calm and going with the flow or swimming parallel to the coast is the best way to survive and rip current.