Caught in the Current

Los Angeles County lifeguards rescued 183 people from the ocean last weekend, where balmy skies and unseasonably warm water drew nearly 660,000 beachgoers from San Pedro to Zuma Beach. * The rescues: More than 85% of the rescues involved pulling swimmers and boogie boarders out of rip currents. * The currents: Rip currents--also known by the inaccurate term riptides--are powerful wave-generated force that makes ocean water rush quickly back to sea sometimes at speeds as fast as 10 knots an hour. * The season: Such rip currents are especially dangerous in the spring when the ocean floor, pounded by winter storms, is particularly uneven. Rip current season, already in its second month, should last through late June. A. Water on the beach sometimes becomes trapped onshore by the incoming surf. B. Instead of flowing back into the ocean, the water is forced sideways until it reaches a dip in the sea floor. The dip channels the water back into the sea, creating a fast-moving current that can extend up to 100-feet. Spotting Rip Currents Water is frothy and brown instead of green. The riptide flattens incoming waves. Escaping the Pull 1. Don’t panic. 2. Swim parallel to the shore. 3. Use swim fins.