Rip current and how to deal with it

The sea and the ocean are a source of joy, pleasure, but at the same time increased danger. Every year, sad statistics are updated with fresh data on Drowned tourists. People die for various reasons, however, one of the hidden dangers that sometimes even experienced swimmers can not cope with is the rip current.

The Rip Current, also called reverse wave, breaking wave, "tyagun", Rip current, is insidious because it carries a person further and further from the shore. And in unsuccessful attempts to return, the swimmer loses all strength and dies in the water. Specialists have developed rules of conduct that will help people who got into the "rip" to escape and safely reach the shore. But first, a little theory.

What is a rip current, a reverse wave

Rip Current is a type of sea and ocean currents that appear near the coast line at low tide. At the moment when the water that previously came to the shore at high tide, with different intensity begins to move back into the sea, this wave is formed. The current, which is commonly called a rebound, is always directed perpendicular to the coastline.

Where and at what time does Rip Current occur

"Rip" can form during low tide, directly near the shore. However, it does not occur everywhere, but only in those places where the bottom relief contributes to this. More precisely, it is necessary that there is a bottleneck for the exit of water, which can be formed by coral reefs, rocks or just a sandbar. What is bad, such a relief can be hidden by water, and it is visually impossible to determine the place of possible formation of a bumpy wave.

How to recognize a rip current

Professionals note that" rip " can be recognized by external signs. If you look at the sea surface, you can see a kind of corridor, about three meters wide, formed by the reverse current. If the flow rate is small (about 5 km/h), such places are not dangerous.

The threat to life is carried by wider rip currents, the flow rate in which is gaining 15 km/h. Therefore, before bathing, you need to carefully look at the water. The main visual signs of the reverse wave are as follows:

• on the surface, a channel of boiling water is visible, directed perpendicular to the coastline. Steady motion captures the flow of marine vegetation and forms foam;
• outside the "rip", in the coastal zone, the water changes its color. If the sea surface is predominantly greenish or bluish, it will be white behind the current (this is how the outgoing flow acts);
• a steady gap is noticeable on the waves, the width of which reaches 5-10 meters on average.

Spontaneous reverse wave

Flash Rip is a reverse ocean current that occurs suddenly and has no visual manifestations. This type of waves is especially dangerous, as it is able to pull into the sea even an adult standing in waist-deep water.

What to do to avoid death in the Rip Current, How to escape

If a person is captured by the current, rescuers recommend following this sequence of actions:

• Don't panic. Panic and fear make you waste energy on meaningless actions. Most often, people drown due to the inability to fight and loss of strength. It is better to calm down and understand that " rip " is not a funnel, it will not drag to the bottom. This is a surface current, from which you can easily get out if you act correctly.
• Saving energy. you can not immediately swim back to shore, this is the most wrong action. It is better not to do anything than to waste energy in a panic, and then there will be more chances to get out when the rebound wave passes.
• Swim not towards the shore, but along it. It is necessary to realize that the Rip Current has its own width, rarely when it is more than 50 meters. It is advisable to move along the coast to leave the treacherous zone and then head for land, rather than shovel wasted water and expend strength, while remaining in place. "Rip" tends to weaken quickly, so you should be patient: already a hundred meters from the shore, it loses its strength, and you can safely swim out of it and move to the shore.
• Do not swim to the shore as soon as you get out of the stream. The backflow expands closer to the shore, and therefore there is a chance to get into it again, but at the same time you will have little strength. Therefore, it is worth sailing a little more from the stream, and only then go to the shore.

Everyone can fight the rip current. If you conduct this struggle according to the rules described above, you can swim out of any difficult situation.