What Is a Rip Current? How to Spot One and What to Do If Caught

A rip current is a narrow, fast-moving channel of water that flows from the beach back out to sea. Waves push water toward the shore, and that water has to return somewhere; it funnels back out through the deepest, easiest path, usually a gap between sandbars or alongside a jetty or rocks. A rip pulls you away from the beach, not under the surface, and knowing that is most of what keeps people safe in one.

This page is general information, not water-safety training. Swim near a lifeguard where you can, and if someone is in trouble, call the emergency number and alert a lifeguard rather than going in after them yourself.

Is a rip current the same as a rip tide or an undertow?

No, though people use all three words for the same thing. A rip current is caused by waves, not by the tide, so "rip tide" is technically a misnomer, even though tide level can make rips stronger or weaker at a given beach. "Undertow" suggests water that drags you down, and a rip current does not do that: it carries you outward along the surface.

How do you spot a rip current?

From the beach, a rip usually shows up as a break in the pattern of the waves rather than as anything dramatic. Look for:

• A gap in the line of breaking waves, where waves break on both sides but not in the middle.
• A channel of darker or deeper-looking water between lighter, foamy areas.
• Choppy, rippled water in a narrow strip while the water around it is calmer.
• Foam, seaweed or debris moving steadily out to sea.
• Discolored, sandy water extending past the breaking waves.

The gap in the waves is the trap: a rip channel can look like the calmest place to swim because waves aren't breaking there. Spend a few minutes watching the water from higher ground before you go in, and ask a lifeguard where the rips are running that day.

What should you do if you get caught in a rip current?

1. Stay calm. A rip carries you out, it does not pull you under, and panic burns the energy you need.
2. Don't swim straight back toward the beach against the current. Even strong swimmers tire out doing this.
3. Swim parallel to the shore, along the beach, to get out of the narrow channel. Then angle back toward land.
4. If you can't swim out of it, float or tread water and let it carry you. Many rips weaken past the breaking waves.
5. Face the shore, wave your arm and shout for help.

If you are surfing, the first rule is simpler: stay with your board. It floats, and it is the best flotation you have. Lie on it and paddle parallel to the beach out of the current.

Why do surfers paddle out in rip currents?

Because a rip is a conveyor belt out to the lineup. Experienced surfers at a beach break often look for the rip on purpose: the channel has fewer breaking waves, so they spend less energy duck diving and get out faster. That only works if you can recognize the rip, know where it ends, and are a confident paddler. For a beginner it is a hazard, and the beginner conditions guide recommends avoiding anywhere with visible rips until you can identify them.

When are rip currents strongest?

Rips get stronger with bigger surf, because more water is being pushed toward the beach and has to flow back out. Many beaches also develop stronger rips at certain tide stages, often on a falling tide when water drains through the sandbar channels. They can form on any beach with breaking waves, including on days that look calm from the parking lot.

The short version

A rip current is a narrow channel of water flowing back out to sea. Spot it as a gap in the breaking waves or a strip of darker, choppier water moving outward. If you are caught, stay calm, don't fight it head-on, swim parallel to the beach, and signal for help if you can't get out. Surfers use rips to paddle out, but only once they can read them.