How Do You Avoid A Rip Current?
Rip current often invokes panic to beachgoers familiar with the term. People often associate rip currents with being pulled out to sea and drowning. But these currents are easy to get out of if you find yourself caught in one and even easier to avoid. Check a local tide chart. Rips tend to be strongest during high tide or as a tide is going out. Look at the waves. Waves are caused by ocean swells hitting a sandbar or reef, and rip currents occur in the small channels between sandbars or reefs. If there are two distinct spots where waves continually break in close proximity to each other, then you can bet on a rip occurring between them. Look for lines of odd discoloration in the water. While blobs or spots that are darker than the water around them may only indicate either a school of fish or a reflection of scattered cloud shadows, long stretches can indicate where a rip will occur. Because rips occur in a channel or break between 2 sandbars or reefs, the water will appear darker. Ext
