Rip Currents on the South Fork: Spot and Escape

A rip current is a narrow channel of fast-moving water that pulls swimmers away from shore. New York Sea Grant says they form where water pushed onto the beach by waves returns to the ocean, typically at low points or breaks in a sand bar and around hard structures such as piers, jetties and groins. They are the leading hazard at surf beaches.

The U.S. Lifesaving Association estimates around 100 beachgoers die in rip currents each year in the United States and that 80 percent of lifeguard rescues at surf beaches are rip-related. On the South Fork the beaches most exposed are the open Atlantic ones, including Georgica, where a surf guide warns of dangerous rips, and Lashley Beach at Jetty 4.

How to spot one

Look for a gap in the breaking waves, discolored or choppy water, or foam and debris moving seaward. Sea Grant warns that a rip can look like an inviting patch of calm water between breaking waves. Rips can appear and disappear within minutes and are more likely in larger waves or onshore wind.

What to do if you are caught

1. Stay calm and do not fight it. Sea Grant says panic and exhaustion are the most common causes of rip-related deaths. Rips can reach speeds up to 18 miles an hour; no swimmer can outswim one.
2. Swim parallel to the shore. Rips are narrow, so swimming sideways gets you out of the current.
3. If you cannot escape, float or tread water and wave or call for help.

If you see someone else in trouble

Do not attempt the rescue yourself; many rescuers become victims. Tell a lifeguard immediately, call 911 if there is no guard, and throw anything that floats.

Before you go in

Swim only at a beach with lifeguards. The National Weather Service says the odds of drowning at a lifeguarded beach are about 1 in 18 million, and notes that rip currents often form on calm sunny days. Check the NWS New York beach forecast, which covers ocean beaches from the Thursday before Memorial Day through late September, and ask the lifeguard about that day’s rips. The flag guide explains what the flags mean.