03-25-2014, 01:50 PM
I spend countless hours (average about 3 hours a day) in the waters of Cape Cod and Jamaica, swimming laps or distance, and have good working knowledge of ocean currents and waves. Don't try to swim against the current! This is pretty good advice from Wikihow: Being caught in a rip current is like being stuck on a treadmill that you can't turn off. Luckily, rip currents, like treadmills, are usually pretty narrow--they're rarely over 100 feet wide--so you need only get to the side of the rip current (step off the treadmill) to escape. Rather than swim against the current toward shore, swim parallel to the shore. As you do so, the rip current will carry you further away from shore, but remember, don't panic. Continue swimming parallel to the shore until you are clear of the current--usually no more than 100-150 feet down the beach from the point where you entered the water.
Float on your back or tread water if you can't swim out of the current. If you can't swim, or if you get tired before you manage to make it out of the current, conserve your energy and stay afloat. Continue to signal for help if there are people present. If you're alone, just relax and stay afloat until you have enough energy to continue to swim. Rip currents generally subside 50-100 yards from the shore, so you'll eventually stop getting pulled further out.
Float on your back or tread water if you can't swim out of the current. If you can't swim, or if you get tired before you manage to make it out of the current, conserve your energy and stay afloat. Continue to signal for help if there are people present. If you're alone, just relax and stay afloat until you have enough energy to continue to swim. Rip currents generally subside 50-100 yards from the shore, so you'll eventually stop getting pulled further out.