Funnily enough, I was taught how to spot rip currents by guys who thought they were a good thing. I was probably nine or so, and they were college students, showing me how to body surf. We spent a couple of hours jumping into a rip, riding it out, swimming out of it, and riding waves back in. Move down the beach to the next break, rinse, repeat. It mystified me for years afterwards when people would talk about rip currents like they were dangerous. I mean... What?
I get why people get into trouble. I do think the advice to Don't Panic might sink in more easily if rip currents weren't generally talked about like they're instant death.
I've inadvertently floated into one a few times. Once, with a friend who was a better swimmer than I was - I can't remember whether he said it or I did - the moment he grokked that we were in a rip current he started to panic like we were definitely going to drown. Once he calmed down we easily swam out of it.
The real danger is that someone who isn't a confident swimmer will be pulled out of their depth, or that someone who may be will end up in waves they're not capable of handling. In both cases, realistic skill assessment and a conservative approach is key. Poor swimmers use floatation. No one swims when the waves are more than they can manage. Follow those rules, and rip currents needn't be scary, and can even be fun.
I think that, in general, a current that pulls you somewhere that you’re not prepared to go can be dangerous. If you’re ready for a swim several hundred feet offshore from the beach, and a current pulls you there, fine (as long as you are really prepared, which involves knowing how to swim out of the current and back to shore). Having a big floaty thing like a surfboard helps, too.
If the rip current pulls you into a big current that takes you away from the beach, you might have a problem. If you’re a beginning swimmer who can’t swim a few hundred feet in open water, then you may also have a problem. If you have a boogie board, and you rely on it, and you lose the boogie board, you may also have a problem.
Many of the swimmers at your average tourist beach are not competent open water swimmers and may be helpless even 50 feet out. A rip current is a severe hazard for them.
Thank you for expanding the reasoning in my final paragraph. I agree entirely.
I'm a reasonably strong swimmer, and played in the surf for most of my young life - which is exactly why I often stay on the beach looking like a fuddy-duddy to a lot of people who don't realize what they're (potentially) getting themselves into.
Me too. I’d put rip currents in the general category of beach safety, though, along with paying attention to incoming waves when you’re in range of them, being aware of safe places to exit the water, being aware of tides, etc.
Sneaker waves are among the unusual location-specific risks that are why one should research the specific beach before playing there.
