How to Stay Protected From a Rip Current

AAt least six people swimming along the Florida coast died over the weekend after being caught in a series of rip currents, drawing attention to one of the sea’s many dangers.

Experts say there are many precautions people can take to stay safe from rip currents — which can move as fast as eight feet per second and faster than any Olympic swimmer.

Rip currents are narrow channels of water that move people away from the shore and cause around 100 deaths from drowning every year. “On the beach you have waves and water crushing the sand, and that water needs to go somewhere, right? And so, rip currents are places along the beach where water will flow back out to sea,” Douglas Hilderbrand, community engagement lead for the National Weather Service, tells TIME.

Return currents are with experience along the U.S. East, Gulf, and West Coasts, as well as the Great Lakes. “Even in the Gulf of Mexico, where people think the waves are smaller than those in the Atlantic, very dangerous rip currents can still occur,” says Hilderbrand. This year, rip currents have been particularly deadly in Puerto Rico, although the Outer Banks or Florida Panhandle may also see a high number of drownings, he says.

These types of currents vary in strength but can pose a risk to even the most experienced swimmers. More than 80% of all beach rescues are due to rip currentsaccording to the American Life Saving Association).

There was at least 16 deaths reported as early as 2024. Here’s how to stay safe during a rip current.

How to detect a rip current

Detecting a rip current can even be difficult for trained lifeguards, making it even more difficult for the average swimmer. It may be easier to detect a rip current by first looking at where the waves are breaking and then finding the gaps in the water. “The best description we can give is that it’s an area where you don’t see many waves breaking and you don’t see the white, foamy water of a breaking wave. In fact, you see a lack of waves,” says Hilderbrand. Surf Life Saving of New South Wales notes that rip currents can also be seen like a gap of seemingly calmer, darker water. Debris or seaweed moving seaward may also be indicative of one.

Hilderbrand says people who swim at a beach with a lifeguard should feel comfortable as they often consider it safe swimming areas with flags in the sand.

How to stay safe

Basic water safety advises people to always swim near lifeguards and know their limits in the water. “Your children [may be] comfortable swimming in the neighborhood pool or backyard pool, [but] the ocean is a completely different environment,” says Hilderbrand.

But if you get caught in a rip current, the most important thing is to stay calm. Trying to swim against a current will cause great fatigue, which will only increase the possibility of drowning. “There is no downward force from rip currents. It’s going in the opposite direction from the coast,” says Hilderbrand. “If you could stay calm and stay afloat, the rip current would eventually end.”

To break the rip current’s hold, people must look for waves (which will indicate they are outside the rip current’s area) and ride them to shore. Swimming parallel to the shore until you get out of the current is your best bet.

If there are lifeguards on duty or other people nearby, you should try asking for help by raising your hand or shouting.

If a loved one is caught in a rip current, the best thing to do is seek additional support to avoid becoming subject to what experts call secondary drowning.

“Stay calm. Activate this emergency process, whether calling 911, yelling for someone to call 911, or receiving[ting] the attention of a lifeguard. Try to find something that can be used as a flotation device, such as a children’s board or float. [to help],” says Hilderbrand. “Take an emotional break before getting in the water.”