Surviving a Riptide Current
Hurricane season brings with it the threat to swimmers of riptide currents.
Popular Mechanics offers these safety tips:
Do not struggle against the current.
Most riptide deaths are not caused by the tides themselves. People often become exhausted struggling against the current, and cannot make it back to shore.Do not swim toward shore.
You will be fighting the current, and you will lose. Swim parallel to shore, across the current.
Generally speaking, a riptide is less than 100 ft. wide, so swimming beyond it should not be too difficult. If you cannot swim out of the riptide, float on your back and allow the riptide to take you away from shore until you are beyond the pull of the current. Rip currents generally subside 50 to 100 yards from shore. Once the riptide subsides, swim parallel to shore and then back to shore.Be Aware.
Float
