Rip currents (RIP CURRENTS). A danger we know nothing about.

This is not written about in newspapers, not talked about on radio and television, and is not taught in school. But this is precisely the most common cause of death in the waters of the world's oceans.

Every traveler vacationing on the coast of any ocean, any sea, or even a large lake must know that the danger lies not in the features of the coastline, not in the depth, and not in the inability to swim, not in big waves or stormy weather.

Danger can lurk close to the shore on any beach in the world, especially on beaches with a gently indented coastline. In this article we will talk about RIP CURRENTS or RIP CURRENTS.

The surprise lies in the fact that even if you are sunbathing on the Cote d'Azur of a fashionable Mediterranean resort, this does not mean that this danger does not threaten you.

To my surprise, I myself learned about this not long ago, although I had the opportunity to vacation on the coasts of many seas and oceans. I love to swim far and long, but to my shame I have never even heard about the danger that threatens just off the coast.

It is strange that for some reason such important information is known only to specialists and people who survived rip currents. Not even all athletes involved in water sports know about this.

So, rip current or RIP (RIP CURRENTS) this is a current formed near the shore, as a result of the outflow of a huge amount of water brought ashore by a tidal wave. Rip currents are the most common cause of drowning among vacationers on ocean and sea beaches. For its formation, the weather and the strength of the tidal wave are absolutely unimportant.

It can form anywhere on the coast, at any time of the day or night, and be of any speed and length. RIP CURRENTS always directed in the opposite direction from the shore, that is, towards the sea or ocean.

There are places on the coasts of the world where rip currents constantly form, which is due to the peculiarity of the coastline. Usually local or rescuers are well aware of them and the dangerous zone is marked with signs, but as I already said, RIP can form on any part of the coast.

Formed rip current creates a corridor from the shore to the open sea, which can be a couple of meters wide, or maybe 50-100 meters. The wider the corridor, the faster the water flows into the sea. The most narrow RIPs have a water speed of 5 km/h. And this is the speed of water flow in an average river. In wide rip currents, water speed reaches 15 km/h and higher.

To make it more clear, I will give an example of the emerging rip current easily drags a person of any weight and physical fitness away from the shore, even if he is standing waist-deep in water. How far this is depends on the strength of the current. If you find yourself in a RIP, your life is in mortal danger.

You can be a multi-time Olympic world champion swimmer or an amphibian born from a killer whale and a great white shark, but if you don't know how to swim out of RIP, then you are 100% at risk of death from drowning.

How does this happen? You stand chest-deep in the water and enjoy the warm turquoise water and sea spray hitting your face from the tidal wave and suddenly, after the next tide, the flow of flowing water knocks you off your feet and begins to carry you into the ocean or sea. This is easy, because the deeper you go into the water, the more unstable your position is.

What's next? Then you begin to actively row back to the shore, but without results. The current carries you further and further. Gradually, and for some, panic begins immediately. The strongest and most psychologically stable continue to actively fight the current, but again everything is in vain.

You are further and further from the shore. Strength runs out, breathing becomes difficult, panic squeezes the throat with a steel grip, most begin to scream and call for help. A few more minutes and you feel that your arms and legs are filled with lead from fatigue; you only have enough strength to at least stay on the water. Movements become chaotic, horror deprives you of the last ability to think normally.

The fear intensifies even more when you see how far you have been carried away from the shore and realize that you no longer have the strength. It is at such moments that a person really comes face to face with his death. The knowledge that you are about to drown deprives your body of latest stocks strength, your heart is already pounding in your throat at a terrifying pace, you take deep, convulsive breaths and begin to grab water with your mouth from the rolling waves.

The arms and legs are not just tired, they no longer obey at all, mortal fatigue falls on shoulder girdle, cramps calf muscles. There is no longer any possibility of simply staying on the water. Your body is exhausted and suffers from hypoxia (lack of oxygen), you frantically try to jump out of the water with your whole body and breathe in air, but you tire it even more.

Finally, another wave splashes in your face and the water hits you. Airways in your nose and throat, you cannot breathe because a terrible pain pierced your brain and water is everywhere, your lungs and chest are bursting. A little more water and you are no longer visible on the surface and there is nothing more than horror and powerlessness. As soon as the water gets into your lungs, you will lose consciousness and go to the bottom. And if they don’t immediately pull you out and give you artificial respiration, then only death will follow.

This is how those who drown are sober, healthy and in good physical shape die. I repeat once again, what are you a swimmer in case with rip currents (RIP CURRENTS) will only delay your death and prolong your agony. BUT ONLY!

What to do? Is there salvation? Of course there is! But provided that you know how to swim. If you get caught in a countercurrent and are carried into the open ocean or sea, you need to perform the following algorithm:

1. Do not panic. RIP CURRENTS will never pull you under water and will never drag you an unimaginable distance from the shore. NEVER RESIST HIM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. That is, never start swimming against it immediately to the shore. This is certain death.

3. Estimate the width of the corridor you find yourself in. Sometimes this can be done by looking around, if you know the visual signs of RIP, which I will talk about below. To do this you need to remain calm. If you panic, see point one.

4. If you notice that the width rip current (RIP CURRENTS) is small or we couldn’t determine it, then we begin to swim steadily, not too intensely, to the right or left along the shore (it doesn’t matter) perpendicular to the current. But under no circumstances should you go straight to the shore. If the width of the current is small, you will definitely swim out and after sailing a short distance from it, turn around and swim to the shore, you will no longer be in danger. You can raise your hand and signal to the rescuers on the shore.

5. The current is wide and it is impossible to swim out. We signal the rescuers on the shore by raising our hand or shouting “HELP” for help. Then we lie on our backs or choose any other position in the water in which we can rest our muscles and relax. We give the current the opportunity to take us wherever it wants. I repeat once again it is pointless to fight him. We just float on the water and calm down.

Any rip current will weaken after some time and begin to disappear. As soon as we feel that we are no longer being carried, we begin to actively swim to the right or left along the shore, but not towards it. Otherwise, there is a chance to return to it again. Having sailed 50-100 meters as much as our strength allows, we turn around and swim steadily to the shore or to the rescuers. By remembering and following this algorithm, you will save your life.

Since RIPs are quite a common occurrence, especially on the ocean coast. What to do to avoid getting caught in a rip current (RIP CURRENTS)? Never rush into the sea or ocean anywhere without looking back, with enthusiastic squeals, without immediately inspecting the coastal strip, without paying attention to the prohibitory signs, or without talking with the locals. And it is natural not to allow children of any age there in this way.

Children should not be left unattended even on the beach at the water's edge, as they can easily be washed into the water by a tidal, rather weak wave. A child caught in a RIP is doomed if help does not arrive in time. Know the visual characteristics of a rip flow. They are the same for all RIPs.

- The coastal zone of water is a different color than the rest of the sea or ocean surrounding it. For example, the water in front of you is blue or white, and the surrounding water is turquoise or blue).

- A stream of seething foam heading perpendicular to the shore into the open sea.

- Have you noticed how debris, bubbles or foam move not towards the shore, but away from it into the open sea.

- You noticed that a gap has formed in the coastal wave. That is, the wave suddenly breaks off, then there is a break, and then the same wave continues again.

These signs must be remembered, but most RIPs do not manifest themselves in any way or are noticeable only to professionals. And you will only notice it when you get there. But now this shouldn't scare you. You know what to do!

For myself personally, I made the following conclusions. The sea, and especially the ocean, cannot be taken lightly. Never go into the water alone if you do not know how to swim, do not swim where there are signs and be careful in the water. Always monitor the wind, current direction and speed, and changes in wave patterns.

Since it is dangerous not only rip current. Wind blowing from the shore is also dangerous. If it is strong and stable enough, it can cause the surface 20 cm of water to move into the open sea. If you are swimming in a bay or lagoon, then this phenomenon it won’t touch you, but if you swim outside into the open sea, the water itself will carry you further and further from the shore.

It is basically impossible to fight in such a situation; all that remains is to wait for the wind to subside or change. But during this time you may find yourself far from the shore. By the way, this is exactly how mattresses with careless vacationers are carried away into the open sea for several kilometers.

There is another rather rare danger associated with rip currents. When 2 rip currents meet together, they can form what is called a "washing machine". This is when a foaming, seething stream pulls you into the depths, since it is directed exactly there.

Only the right decision if caught in a washing machine, climb to the surface, clinging to the steep coastline. This is a case where rocks can save lives. This type of flow is formed near a steep coastline, where it immediately begins great depth. The most a clear example is Sharm el-Sheikh. The corals form just such a shore there. But I have no information about the deaths of tourists in a washing machine in Sharm el-Sheikh.

This article is not intended to scare you and force you to swim your entire future life in pools. Just take this information into account, and even remember some of it, and God forbid that you never need it. And in conclusion, I want to say that the ocean does not tolerate disdain. Never overestimate your capabilities. Good luck!

Below is the story of those who know first-hand what RIP is. Information kindly provided by a site visitor.

On December 27, 2012, mother and daughter showed me photographs taken within half a minute at noon on December 25, 2012:
Photo No. 1: The girl is standing in ankle-deep water! Posing. Mom takes a photo without lifting her hand from the button.

No. 2 and 3. The girl is knee-deep in water and ankle-deep in sand. The waves are half a meter. Low tide.

No. 4. The girl fell due to an incoming meter-long wave mixed with a reverse “ebb” wave so strong that even sand was pulled into the ocean.

Photo No. 5. The wave pulled the Girl one or two meters away, only her head is visible. The Girl screams “HELP!”
(it’s not deep yet, if you stand up it will be up to your waist, but you can’t stand up... but it continues to pull you deeper)
Only then does the Mother realize that the Daughter is not frolicking in the waves.

She sees that a new one and a half meter wave is approaching and clearly understands: “if this wave covers her child, she will no longer see him.” The Mother rushes after the Daughter, pulls her out of the sand, they walk a couple of meters, fall, another young woman runs up from the shore, grabs the Girl’s other hand, another meter... the wave covers them with the remains of foam...

People are already rushing along the shore, only one rescuer missing! equipment, yelling...
The rescuer swears terribly (it’s good that “in his own language”) and points at the red flag.
Violators apologize. They don't know what Rip Current is. And perhaps they would never have known if we had not sat next to each other. How I didn’t know what could be carried away from “ankle-deep” (I was dragged “waist-deep”)

Many people who swim well or stay on the water well do not understand how you can drown near the shore when you know how to swim?! Especially when you don’t know how, and therefore you don’t go deeper than waist-deep. Having heard news reports during the holiday season about tourists who “died near the shore,” they think that the victims either did not know how to swim or were intoxicated. But they are wrong. What then is the reason?

We are talking about a very dangerous, but little-known phenomenon - rip currents, which are often also called “rip currents”. Rip currents exist in all corners of the planet and in Gulf of Mexico, and on the Black Sea, and on the island of Bali. These insidious rips may not be dealt with not only by ordinary people, but also first-class swimmers who do not know how to behave in this situation. The most dangerous are considered to be rip currents in shallow seas with a gentle coast, which is framed by sandbanks, spits and islands (the Sea of ​​Azov, etc.). In these places, during low tide, sand spits prevent the return of the mass of water to the sea. The water pressure on the narrow strait connecting the sea with the estuary increases many times over. As a result, a fast flow is formed, through which water moves at a speed of 2.5-3.0 m/s.

You can read about the physics of the occurrence of “rips” yourself on your favorite Wikipedia. For technically incompetent comrades, it is enough to know that corridors with a reverse (seaward) current constantly appear in one place or another right next to the shore. There are “rips” that are stable, and they are not so dangerous, because, as a rule, all the locals know about them and tell them where not to go for a swim. But there are so-called flash rip currents that come and go; that's exactly what they represent mortal danger. In most cases, the "ripa" corridor is narrow, 2-3 meters, and it is easy to jump out of it to the right or left. Also, in most cases, the speed of the current in the “rip” is 4-5 km/h, which is also harmless. However, several times a day, “rips” up to 50 meters wide and up to 200-400 long can occur on the same beach! If you add a speed of 15 km/h to it, then, if you get into such a “rip”, if you don’t know how to deal with it, you can say a prayer. What happens when a person gets into a rip? He starts to drag him to open ocean. If the “rip” is wide and the speed is even minimal (5 km/h), it is useless to resist, that is, swim against the current - it will still drag you to the depths. The sad thing is that people who do not know about “rips” begin to desperately resist and frantically swim towards the shore, that is, against the current of the “rips”. Of course, nothing works out for them, and after 20-30 seconds a MONSTER PANIC begins! Can you imagine if a person doesn’t know how to swim?! Here he stands, say, waist-deep in water and thinks: “It’s a thrill! I won’t go any deeper, it’s safe here!” What is it! If she gets into a rip, the ocean will drag her away and she won’t ask for her last name, especially if she’s a weak woman or old man. It will drag you to a place where there is no bottom... But you don’t know how to swim... It’s better not to think.

What should I do? How to deal with "rips"? If you don’t know how to swim at all, there is only one recommendation: don’t go into the water alone! Never! Only with someone experienced. Of course, you need to swim where there are lifeguards and red flags. Anyone who knows how to swim must remember that the depth up to the chest is already sufficient for a serious “rip” (10 km/h or more), which can drag you into the open ocean. What to do if you are still carried away? First and most importantly - DON'T PANIC! In no case, because if you know the rules of conduct in a “rip” and don’t panic, you will get out 100 times out of 100. The second main thing is not to resist the reverse current and under no circumstances swim to the shore! It sounds, of course, terrifying, but this is the only correct logic: by resisting, you will not achieve anything, you will still continue to drag, but in a minute or two you will be exhausted, exhausted, tired and guaranteed to lose your composure. Hundreds and hundreds of excellent swimmers, athletes, athletes, weightlifters and bodybuilders unknowingly drowned in “rips”. In this situation, the matter will not be yours. So, don't panic and swim to shore! What are you doing? First: you are trying to get out of the “rip” to the side. That is, you are not swimming towards the shore, but parallel to it. Right or left, it doesn't matter. If the “rip” is narrow, 2-4 meters, then you will quickly get out of it. If it is wide - up to 50 meters, then, of course, it will not work. As soon as you realize that you can’t get out, immediately stop trying and... relax! At least lie on your back, but don’t panic. Why? Because in a minute or two the oncoming current will end and leave you alone. After that, you will turn around and swim... but not immediately to the shore, but first 50-100 meters to the side in order to get around the “rip”, otherwise you will get stuck back into it. Oh, and while you're relaxingly floating with the flow, don't forget to raise your hand high, then at least a lifeguard will help you on the way back. Another one important detail, which you need to remember: “rip” will not drag you to the bottom! This is not a whirlpool or a funnel. All the “rips” in the world are dragged from the shore along the surface, but not to the depth.

Finally, the last thing: all “rips” have clear identification marks (signs). If there are no lifeguards with red flags on the beach, you can independently determine the location of the oncoming current using one of the following signs(in any combination). A visible channel of rushing water perpendicular to the shore. Coastal zone with a changed color of the water (say, everything around is blue or green, and some area is white). An area of ​​foam, some kind of marine vegetation, bubbles, which is steadily moving from the shore into the open sea. Gap in general structure tidal waves (a continuous strip of waves, and in the middle there is a 5-10 meter gap). If you see any of the things described, consider yourself lucky and just don't go swimming in that place. What if you don't see any of the four signs? This means that you are out of luck, because 80 percent of dangerous spontaneously occurring “rips” (flash rips) do not manifest themselves visually. That is, professional rescuers will still be able to identify these places, but ordinary tourists are unlikely to. Until they get sucked into one of these invisible “rips”.

USEFUL

Rip current(Rip Current). How not to drown in the ocean

It always amazed me how you can drown literally right on the shore of the sea or ocean if you are an excellent swimmer. I am a good swimmer and always enjoy swimming in the sea. After my return from Indonesia, I began to come across news here and there that tourists were drowning in Bali almost every week. And the saddest thing is near the shore. God has had mercy on me. At that time, I knew nothing and had no idea what a terrible danger the ocean or sea could pose.

Many may think that our tourists, as always, get drunk on vacation, and then go swimming in the sea and, of course, drown. But these were articles not about drunken tourists, but about the so-called rip currents, which foreigners call “rip current” (rip wave, reverse current). It is in these currents that both ordinary people and first-class swimmers often drown, because they simply do not know how to behave. Such currents are often called in one word - “rip”.

Usually, people caught in a rip try to resist the current in order to swim to shore, but, as a rule, they fail - the current takes them further and further from the shore. Then they begin to panic and spend a lot of energy unsuccessfully overcoming the current. And, unfortunately, they often drown.

However, if you arm yourself with knowledge about what a rip is and how you should behave in it, you can easily and simply avoid problems.

First, let's look at What is a rip current? This is a type of sea and oceanic coastal currents directed at right angles from the coast. This current is formed when masses of tidal water begin to recede (with to varying degrees intensity) back towards the sea. Schematically it looks like this (the reverse current (rip) goes towards the sea perpendicular to the shore):

Such currents can occur anywhere on the beach, near the shore, during high tides. The waves roll in one after another and bring more and more water, then the water at different speeds goes back into the sea or ocean, forming a rip current. It looks like a river:

Usually the rip corridor is narrow, 2-3 meters, with a current speed of 4-5 km/h. This is not dangerous. However, rip currents up to 50 meters wide and up to 200-400 meters long, with speeds of up to 15 km/h, can occur. Rips of this magnitude are rare, but they do happen.

How can we identify this current so as not to fall into it? Please pay attention to the following identification marks:

A visible channel of rushing water perpendicular to the shore.
- The coastal zone outside the rip has a changed water color (say, the water around is blue or green, and the current section is white, or vice versa).
- A stream of water with foam and some marine vegetation moves steadily from the shore into the open sea.
- There is a noticeable gap in the general structure of tidal waves (a continuous strip of waves, and in the middle there is a 5-10-meter gap):

However 80% of dangerous spontaneously occurring rips (flash rips) do not visually manifest themselves. Of course, professional rescuers can identify them, but ordinary tourists are unlikely to.

Because rip currents arise near the shore, which means that even standing in water up to your waist, and even more so up to your chest, you can be picked up by a rip and carried out to sea. But that’s exactly what those who don’t know how to swim do - they just stand in the water and enjoy. Therefore, do not swim alone or go into the water if you notice any of the identifying signs of a rip. Try to swim on busy beaches, especially where there are lifeguards. Especially if you don't know how to swim.

What to do if you suddenly find yourself in such a current? Typically, people panic and begin to row as hard as they can towards the shore against the current, quickly using up all their energy and eventually drowning. It should be remembered that rip currents are quite short and, moreover, only the surface layer of water moves at high speed, which supports the objects floating in it, and does not cover them. Therefore, once in breaker wave, don't resist her, relax. She will quickly weaken. After this, you should swim for some time not towards the shore (!), but parallel to it, in order to leave the current zone, and then return to the shore at a certain angle. Also, you should not swim in the narrow straits between the spits and islands.

Rules of conduct in rip:

1. Don't panic.
When we give in to panic, we are guided by the instinct of self-preservation, rather than relying on sound thinking. IN calm state, knowing about the rules of conduct in a rip, you can easily get out of it.

2. Save energy.
Don't fight the current, it's useless. Calmly swim not towards the shore, but to the side (parallel to the shore). If the rip is narrow (up to 5 meters), you will quickly get out of it. If the rip is wide (20 meters or more) and you can’t get out of it right away, then relax and be patient. The fact is that the reverse current is short-lived and after about 5 minutes it will stop and leave you alone. After this, first swim 50-100 meters to the side, and only then head to the shore. If you immediately swim to the shore, there is a chance that the current will resume in the same place and you will fall into it again.

To avoid panic, remember:

- Rip will never drag you down. This is not a whirlpool or a funnel, but a surface current.

- The rip is not too wide. Usually its width does not exceed 50 meters, and most often 10-20 meters. That is, after swimming literally 20-30 meters along the shore, you will feel like you have swum out of a rip.

- Rip length is limited. The current will weaken quite quickly, usually no further than 100 meters from the shore.

Anna Romanova

What causes most people to die at sea? Uninitiated land dwellers immediately imagine heartbreaking scenes from movies: freezing in the waters North Atlantic the poor Irishman performed by DiCaprio, or stained with blood coastal waters from the thriller "Jaws". However, if we raise the statistics of accidents at sea from fatal, they may be surprised to discover that most of the dead were not victims of giant white sharks or horrific marine disasters. According to dry official data, most of the victims drowned completely “independently”, and often not far from the shore.

You can immediately anticipate the cries: “There’s no need to get into the water if you don’t know how to swim!”, “They’ll get drunk and go swimming!” I don’t argue, it happens, especially with tourists who have finally caught the hot tropical sun, warm south sea, snow-white sandy beach and... all-inclusive services. On the same island of Bali, tourists drown in the ocean waters almost every week, and dozens more vacationers manage to be rescued from the clutches of death by beach lifeguards. But most often the reason here lies elsewhere - in the ominous signs “Dangerous Rip Current!”, the meaning of which remains mysterious and incomprehensible for the majority of vacationers. This translates from English: “Dangerous rip current!”

The nature of rips

And yet, to fall into the power of an insidious rip current, it is not at all necessary to sail to tropical shores. Face a rip current (also called a rip current, draft, or English manner- rip) can be done in any part of the world's oceans. They are often found in the Gulf of Mexico, the Adriatic, and the Gulf of Thailand. Rips also often form off the coast of Egypt, for example off Sharm el-Sheikh. And even when traveling in the shallow Azov Sea, you can encounter this insidious natural phenomenon. A rip is formed, as a rule, during low tide in shallow areas of the coast, limited on both sides by certain obstacles - spits, shoals, islands, breakwaters, coral reefs. In this case, the bulk sea ​​water begins to move away from the shore, but the surf continues to press on it from the sea. As one might expect, according to the laws of physics, the ebb tide finds the most weakness and the entire mass of water leaving the shore rushes into this gap. It is from here that the second name of this movement arose - discontinuous. On the surface of the sea, a kind of river is formed, flowing directly perpendicular to the coast - from the shore to the sea. The oncoming waves squeeze the water in front of them into this channel. Along the coastline, coastal currents appear from the left and right, which, converging at the point where the rip forms, rush the mass of water in them into this gap between the surf waves.

The size of the rip is usually relatively small - 10 meters wide and no more than 100 meters long. The water speed in such small rips is about 5 - 10 km/h. True, even among rip currents there are giants with a frontal width of up to 50 m or more, and extending hundreds of meters into the ocean. The speed of such a river can already reach 15 km/hour. Of course, such rip currents are rare, and they form mainly in the necks of estuaries or narrow straits at low tide. However, much smaller rip currents are dangerous for swimmers.

What is the danger of a rip current?

On the one hand, it seems that what is dangerous about such a small and relatively short current? To understand what the danger is, let’s listen to the story of a person who encountered a rip one on one.

“Right not far from the shore, I was suddenly picked up by some kind of current and carried quite quickly at a right angle from the coast into the sea. Initially, I did not experience any fear - I completely relied on my ability to swim. It was even fun to swim in this stream, without feeling the resistance of the waves rolling in from the sea. However, when the stream carried me about 50 meters from the shore, I began to worry. Turning around, I tried to row towards the current. At first it seemed to work, but the constant pressure of the oncoming flow very quickly took away all my strength. In addition to everything, small oncoming waves rolled over my head, heading out to the open sea. Small, but very difficult to breathe. And at that moment panic began - I realized that I would no longer be able to get to such a close coast. A few more minutes of feverish attempts to overcome this river that had come from nowhere, dragging me into the open sea, and I surrendered to its mercy. To my great surprise, the stream carried me another couple of tens of meters and began to lose its strength. Perhaps it was precisely the fact that I did not try to break through, losing my last strength and choking, through the mass of water leaving the shore that saved my life. I crawled onto the beach on all fours..."

So, the whole danger of a rip current lies in the panic that a person caught in it experiences. Not knowing the nature and characteristics of this phenomenon, he begins to violently resist it, spending all his strength. As a result, he has no energy left not only to overcome the rip, but even to simply stay on the water. Another unpleasant moment is that a suddenly powerful rip current can pick up and carry out to sea even a person standing waist-deep in water. And, as a rule, it is precisely those who cannot swim who “swim” on the beaches in this way.

How to get out of a rip?
1. The very first thing you need to do when you get into a rip is to suppress your panic. It is through her fault that most people caught in the rip current die. As a result of panic, a person wastes his energy pointlessly. The best way out in this situation is to pull yourself together and not try to resist the flow. You should know that, unlike a funnel, the rip itself will not pull you to the bottom. A rip is a surface current that is practically not felt at a depth of 1.5 - 2 meters, and getting out of it is quite easy if you know how to act.
2. Save your energy - you don’t need to waste it on useless attempts to overcome the current, although this is precisely the very first instinctive action in this situation. You will need strength to get out of the current and get to the shore.
3. To get out of the rip you need to swim sideways - along the shore. Since the width of the rip generally does not exceed 10 - 20 meters, swimming out of the stream will not be difficult. After that, head to the shore. Even if you were unable to swim out of it, do not despair: already in a few tens, less often hundreds of meters, the rip current loses its strength, mixing with surrounding water. Having reached this point, you can freely sail away from this place and turn towards the shore. But, it must be taken into account that the width of rip currents is greater near the shore and therefore you should swim away from the current to the left or right so as not to get into it again on the way back.


As can be seen from the above, in fact, for a person who is more or less able to swim, a rip current is not so scary. The main thing is not to panic and act rationally. The circumstances will be much more deplorable for a person who cannot swim at all and is carried out to sea by a rip current. That is why you need to carefully monitor the surface of the sea to avoid getting caught in a rip.

How to recognize a rip current
Usually, in those areas of the beach where rip currents often occur, special warning signs are installed - the same “Dangerous Rip Current!” However, they are not available everywhere. So, having moored your yacht to any coast unknown to you, you should not spontaneously rush into warm water - first inspect the coastal surface for rip currents. The main signs signaling a rip are:
* Visible seething current directed at right angles from the shore.
* An area of ​​coastal water painted a different color than the rest of the sea surface. For example, a darker or, conversely, lighter area.
* Sea foam, bubbles, algae moving directly from the shore into the sea as if along an invisible channel.
* Breaks in the rows of oncoming waves perpendicular to the shore.
However, it also happens that the rip current does not stand out against the background of the rest of the sea. Here you need to rely on your feelings - if, after going knee-deep into the water, you feel this current directed from the shore, it is not recommended to go further. However, occasionally completely spontaneous, short-term, but powerful rip currents arise, occurring mainly after a particularly powerful breaking wave rolls onto the shore. This is the so-called “Flash rip”, capable of knocking down and dragging even an adult into the sea (here is the Russian name for this phenomenon: tyagun).

Danger of rip currents for a yacht
It often happens that the direction of rips runs along the piers - rip currents knock out channels in the ground through which excess water goes into the sea. If the yacht is moored at such a pier, the rips running along it can significantly interfere with the maneuver, worsening the controllability of the yacht. When trying to position the yacht perpendicular to the pier, the rip current will certainly carry the lighter and shallower bow of the yacht away from the shore, trying to turn it along the pier. In this case, it will be necessary to anchor more reliably by extending up to 8 depths of the anchor chain. Then level the stern and set the stern mooring lines. When approaching the shore, a rip current can also have some effect on yachts, and the influence of the rip will be felt more strongly on sailboats. In general terms, other than a short-term deterioration in controllability, the influence of a rip current on a yacht moving along the shore is unlikely. Rips, especially at some distance from the shore, are not strong enough to capsize a yacht or even a boat.

What is this and why is it dangerous? Anapa is first and foremost a water resort. People come from across the Black Sea. They want to swim there, relax, go surfing. However, in addition to the favorable climate, abundance of warm days and developed infrastructure, there are features of the area that are worth learning about in advance. For example, about reverse flow.

Reverse current - what is it?

This is the name of a type of sea current. This is the movement of coastal waters. It is formed when a mass of water first moves towards the shore, then is pulled back. It is at the moment of fluid outflow that a reverse flow occurs.

Many people think that such a current pulls people down under the water. In reality, the force of the current pulls you back away from the shore.
This characteristic phenomenon for beaches of oceans, seas, even large lakes, where coastal waters form waves. Anapa has comfortable, gently sloping beaches where everyone can swim, even small children and inexperienced swimmers. But because of this, even a small, short-lived storm can cause a real reverse current (dragon).

Why is a reverse current dangerous?

Interestingly, the phenomenon occurs not only at moments strong winds and vibrations of water, but also when there is real calm in the sea. This is why it is dangerous. It is impossible to predict when it will occur, where and how long it will last.
The most dangerous currents are those that arise in shallow waters with gentle banks seas. They are framed by high sandbanks, there are spits and small islands. During periods of low tide, the mass of water gradually flows back into the sea. Sand spits interfere with this. The water pressure is not distributed evenly; most of it falls on narrow, small straits that connect the main part of the sea with the estuary. The pressure increases rapidly, as a result, a rapid stream is formed there, where the water moves 2.5-3.0 m/s.

Signs of reverse flow formation:

• there the waves seem smaller in appearance, the surface is calmer;
• The color of the water is brown, it is influenced by the sand raised by the current;
• foam forms and algae accumulates.

What to do if you find yourself in such a situation? First of all, don't fight. It is useless to swim against the current formed there; the water pressure is too high. Typically, the flow width will be small. Therefore, in order to escape, you need to remain calm, swim straight, keeping along the shore until the force of the current gradually ceases to be felt. Then carefully get out onto land.
The current is weakened by waves. When they reach the peak and break upon reaching the shore, the tyagun disappears. Surfers call this phenomenon “line up”. They try to gather in such places in order to conquer all the incoming waves.

Is it possible to submit to a tug? Some risk-takers try to find a tug to see where the current will take them. Especially if it doesn’t pull people down, but drags them down. Under no circumstances should this be done. After all, a rip current can drag you into a deep-sea zone or a place where there will be another undercurrent. Even experienced swimmers and divers cannot predict the route of the tug. It is better to leave it carefully and keep children away from such places.