Beware the rip

Video

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS & VIDEO - With the recent spate of ocean drownings in South Africa, many caused by rip currents, the NSRI is urging extreme caution.

Very strong rip currents have been spotted around the coast and develop where there are breaking waves. Bigger waves produce stronger currents, and these "rivers" of current are produced by water moving from the beach back out to sea.

They happen all the time and often move too slow to be detected. Given the right circumstances, they can develop into currents moving up to 2 m/s - faster than any of us can swim. Avoiding rip currents altogether is the safest strategy.

How to spot a rip current:

A change in the incoming pattern of waves. Often the waves are not breaking in a rip channel;
Water through a surf zone that is a different colour;
Choppy water in the surf zone in a channel or river-like shape flowing away from the beach;
Seaweed, sand clouds or debris moving out through the surf zone to the backline where waves are forming.

NB: Bathers caught in a rip current should not panic. Swim slowly and conservatively out of the current, or relax and let it carry you out past the breakers until it slacks.