Riptides

[BoltSnap]

A rip current is a force current created by 2 waves. It pulls people out from shore and past the wave break zone.
Swimmers die because they try to fight against the current then drown due to exhaustion. There is no downward pulling force with rip currents. They can be very mellow to very forceful. You may be able to power through some with fins and some you can't. Rip currents are not always OMG I'm being pulled at 10knots through the water out to sea.

And undertow is a force current that flows under a shore-coming wave in the reverse (out from shore). They come in surges with the waves. Contrary to popular belief it does not pull you underwater. It is not a downward pulling force. But it can sweep a person's feet out from under them and then they tumble on the shore-coming top wave).
Surfers can utilize this when duck diving under the wave to go away from shore.

These are commonly confused with rip currents. These are not Downcurrents which occur on steep walls underwater.


What are you sensing that some of us are not sensing?

I am VERY familiar with rip currents and what they do and where they are and how they form and how to get out of them. Where I live and dive, they are a regular occurrence and we avoid them ALWAYS. To say that rip currents "aren't always bad" is like saying that closing your eyes while driving at 100Km/h won't always kill you. As it was pointed out earlier, rip currents will push you in such force that you will get pushed against shallow rocks, reefs, wrecks, fishing lines, fishing nets and other obstacles in the path of the rip current making it very difficult to get out of the "jam." You may very well get smashed up, seriously hurt or your equipment will suffer serious damage ESPECIALLY if a piece of equipment gets entangled in something while the current is pushing away and you can't back up to get that piece of equipment out of the "jam." Heck, your fins or your foot may very well get stuck and you will either break the foot/leg or you lose your fin. Not all rip currents are a huge problem but most of them will cause a serious issue for the diver. There is absolutely NO reason to risk it and dive in a rip current. It is of extreme stupidity to risk it all just to get a joy ride to a distant reef or a dive site beyond the rip current area.

Most of my diving, the greater majority of it, is from shore and I can swim 500 meters or more on the surface with full scuba equipment to a distant dive point from shore no problem at all. I consider myself an expert on diving from shore based on my many many years of doing so and I would NEVER take a rip current so lightly or advise somebody to take it lightly or to dive in a rip current. It is no less stupid and dangerous than advising somebody to to drive with their eyes closed even if it is a wide highway with no traffic. There are SO MANY variables and dangers lurking in the path of the rip current, it is totally wrong and unnecessary to dive in a rip current. Rip currents form suddenly and disappear suddenly. They also change direction, speed and strength and hence you can't plan what you will meet in the path of the rip current ride out to the dive site. You folks must read the OP post carefully, he wasn't asking about how to escape the rip current, he was asking about diving it and using it as a transportation means to a distant dive site.

I truly don't believe that we are actually discussing this point here.

 

[BoltSnap]

A rip current is a force current created by 2 waves. It pulls people out from shore and past the wave break zone.

No, it isn't. It is about a large amount of water trying to get out through a narrow opening between a reef structure, sand bars when the water level is low that can't get out over the structures in its path.

 

[BoltSnap]

BTW, it is "Rip Current" NOT "Rip Tide"!!!

 

[tc]

Actually, the rip currents in California form on very flat sand beaches Burhan. No structure involved.

I don’t beach dive much anymore but we used to take advantage of them to go out from the beach. No more danger than any other current or drift dive.

Sounds like conditions in your region are significantly different.

Maybe folks need to consider that conditions in one region may not be the same worldwide. An unsafe practice in one place may be perfectly safe and acceptable elsewhere.

 

[TMHeimer]

Actually, the rip currents in California form on very flat sand beaches Burhan. No structure involved.

I don’t beach dive much anymore but we used to take advantage of them to go out from the beach. No more danger than any other current or drift dive.

Sounds like conditions in your region are significantly different.

Maybe folks need to consider that conditions in one region may not be the same worldwide. An unsafe practice in one place may be perfectly safe and acceptable elsewhere.

Think I agree. Many beaches on the N. Gulf of Mexico can have rip currents--just sandy. Though, I'd still avoid them. I've stuck my hand/leg in them a few times when swimming. Why deal with it?