What Are Rip Tides / Rip Currents (Rips)?
We have received several e mails asking this question in relation to Porth Neigwl (Hell’s Mouth) – but the same advice applies to all beaches where there are surf conditions. As there are no lifeguards on our beaches – it is important to have some knowledge of these currents if you are thinking of body boarding etc at Porth Neigwl and every year the emergency services are called to this beach after people have been caught out by them. Rips can be found on any beach where there are waves and they are currents running out to sea that can easily take swimmers from shallow water out beyond their depth. Rip currents are particularly powerful in larger surf, but also occur when the surf is small. Waves bring water up the beach which has to escape somewhere so it takes the path of least resistance back out to see in between sandbars (an example of a sandbar is arrowed in the photo below). Sandbars at Porth Neigwl In bigger surf conditions, a series of waves flowing over the sandbars can exert
