I keep hearing about rip currents off of Virginia. What are those?
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Why Rip Currents Form
As waves travel from deep to shallow water, they will break near the shoreline. When waves break strongly in some locations and weakly in others, this can cause circulation cells which are seen as rip currents: Narrow, fast-moving belts of water traveling adjacent to the shore.
Why Rip Currents are Dangerous
Rip currents are the leading surf hazard for all beachgoers. They are particularly dangerous for weak or non-swimmers. Rip current speeds are typically 1-2 feet per second. However, speeds as high as 8 feet per second have been measured--this is faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint! Thus, rip currents can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.
Over 100 drownings due to rip currents occur every year in the United States. More than 80% of water rescues on surf beaches are due to rip currents. If a swimmer is caught in a rip current the best thing to do is not fight it, but swim parallel to the shoreline until out of the path of the current.
Rip currents can occur at any surf beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes.
As waves travel from deep to shallow water, they will break near the shoreline. When waves break strongly in some locations and weakly in others, this can cause circulation cells which are seen as rip currents: Narrow, fast-moving belts of water traveling adjacent to the shore.
Why Rip Currents are Dangerous
Rip currents are the leading surf hazard for all beachgoers. They are particularly dangerous for weak or non-swimmers. Rip current speeds are typically 1-2 feet per second. However, speeds as high as 8 feet per second have been measured--this is faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint! Thus, rip currents can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.
Over 100 drownings due to rip currents occur every year in the United States. More than 80% of water rescues on surf beaches are due to rip currents. If a swimmer is caught in a rip current the best thing to do is not fight it, but swim parallel to the shoreline until out of the path of the current.
Rip currents can occur at any surf beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes.
