How to Identify, Avoid, and Escape a RIP Current

​Beachgoers need to be aware of RIP currents. “RIP” in this case could stand for “rest in peace,” because these currents can be deadly. In the U.S., about 100 people drown in RIP Currents every year. Lifeguards in the U.S. rescue another 30,000 swimmers from RIP Currents each year. We usually think of waves as washing stuff onto the beach—seaweed, shells and other ocean debris. But, sometimes the waves hit the beach in a certain way to create a current that flows away from the beach. This is a RIP Current. When waves travel from deep to shallow water, they break near the shoreline and generate currents that are influenced by the shape of the ocean floor, at times producing RIP Currents. Waves interacting with each other can also cause short-lived RIP Currents.

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