Trying to swim against a rip current will only use up your energy; energy you need to survive and escape the rip current. Do NOT try to swim directly into to shore. Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current’s pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.

Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that are prevalent along the East, Gulf, and West coasts of the U.S., as well as along the shores of the Great Lakes. Moving at speeds of up to eight feet per second, rip currents can move faster than an Olympic swimmer.

“Even small rips can flow faster than a person can swim. You should not try to swim against the rip,” Carey said. Rip currents are often narrow, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the USLA suggest trying to swim parallel to the shore and out of the current.

Get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 911. Throw the rip current victim something that floats – a life jacket, a cooler, an inflatable ball. Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.

If you do get caught in a rip current, the best thing you can do is stay calm. It’s not going to pull you underwater, it’s just going to pull you away from shore. You want to swim out of the rip, parallel to shore, along the beach and then follow breaking waves back to shore at an angle.

Signs of a rip can include:

1. Deeper, darker coloured water.
2. Fewer breaking waves.
3. A rippled surface surrounded by smooth water.
4. Anything floating out to sea, or foamy, sandy water out beyond the waves.