What is RIP Current:
A rip current is a narrow, powerful current of water being pushed toward the shore by strong winds from the sea. Here’s a look at how it can endanger the lives of swimmers on the beach.
Some Common Misconceptions about RIP Current:
1- Rip current is not the same as “undertow.” Undertow describes current running underneath the water’s surface.
2- The term “rip tide” is also a misnomer. Rip current has nothing to do with the rise and fall of water levels in the ocean.
How RIP Current Initiated and Cause Drownings:
1- Sandbar, along narrow hill of accumulated sand, formed by the motion of waves and tides.
A swell of water forms a rip current that rushes to the shore along the surface of the sea. Some of the water underneath are held back by sandbars.
2- The wave impact on the beach forms “longshore currents” that run parallel to the shore.
The current moves into a”basin” formed between the shore and the sandbars. When it hits the shore, water bounces and surges back out to sea, usually with enough force to break parts of the sandbars.
3- At the “head” of the current, water spreads out and dissipates, causing the force to weaken.
The concentrated force of water rushing through the break in the
sandbar creates a powerful, deadly current that can pull swimmers out into the open sea.
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