Rip currents

You're happily swimming in the sea, and suddenly everything goes wrong. An underwater current pulls you out to sea, and you don't know when the current will stop. This kind of current is called an undertow or rip current. A rip current is a deeper area in a sand bank, where the sea water flows back towards the sea. The currents form due to a difference in water depth behind the surf. This causes a strong current back out to sea.

If you get caught in a rip current, here are a few tips:

1 – Shout for help loudly and wave your arms

2 – Don't fight against the current

3 – Swim in the same direction as the current until the current gets slower

4 – Swim parallel to the coast, away from the current

5 – Then swim towards the breaking waves (shallows)

6 – Rest when your feet are back on the ground

7 – Go toward the beach through the shallow water along the beach.