WHAT ARE RIP CURRENTS?
A rip current is a strong flow of water returning seaward along the shore. When wind and waves push water to the shore, the previous backwash is often pushed sideways by the oncoming waves. The backwash streams along the shoreline until it finds an exit back to the sea. The resulting rip current is usually narrow and located in trenches between sandbars, under piers, or along jetties. The current is strongest at the surface and can dampen incoming waves, which might make the area seem deceptively calm. That’s one thing to look for when searching for rip currents: unusually calm waters. The color of the water may be different from the surrounding area, and the waterline will be lower on the shore near a rip current. IT’S NOT THE UNDERTOW: Many of the deaths resulting from rip currents are wrongly attributed to an undertow. The two are related, but distinct. Rip currents occur if there’s a place along the beach where the incoming waves aren’t as strong, so that the escaping water goes th
