Rip Currents

Question 1

What are rip currents?

Answer 1

Strong, localised currents that
flow perpendicular to the coast.
* Flows within rip currents can
reach 2 m/s.
* Identifiable as areas of calm
water cutting across breaking
waves.

Question 2

Globally

Answer 2

primary physical hazard
impacting on recreational beach
users.

Question 3

Formation of rip currents

Answer 3

Dependant on beach morphology.
* Typically associated with sandbars.
* Waves break as they hit shallow
water overlying sandbars (1).
* Water then flows “downhill” into
deeper areas where there are no
sandbars (2).
* Water flows back out to sea in the
deeper channels between
sandbars (3).

Question 4

Types of Rip currents

Answer 4

Boundary Rips
Bathymetric Rips
Hydrodynamic Rips

Question 5

Currents are…

Answer 5

Strongly linked to
daily tides, spring tides, beach morphology

Question 6

Seaward flow can vary between…

Answer 6

linear and turbulent eddies

Question 7

Why are rip currents dangerous?

Answer 7

Wales has a coastline of 1,680 miles.
* The Welsh coastline has c. 200 beaches.
* Varied geology, large tidal ranges (1.5 – 15 m).
* Rip currents are hard to see.
We let our guard down on holiday.
* We like to show off to our peers.
* We don’t swim on lifeguarded beaches.
* We visit lifeguarded beaches out of hours.
* We over estimate our swimming abilityWe underestimate our sobriety.
* We don’t understand the danger.
* We panic in dangerous situations.
* We don’t know how to escape the current.
* We don’t normally live near the seaside

Question 8

Who are most at risk of rip currents

Answer 8

Children, Teens, Elderly, Animals, surfers and

Question 9

What are the 7 misconceptions of rip currents

Answer 9

Rip currents drag you under the water.

• Strong swimmers can “out-swim” rip
  currents.
• Rip currents are easy to spot.
• Rip currents only happen in bad weather.
• Calm water is the safest place to swim.
• Rip currents will sweep you far out to sea.
• Personal Intention vs Action.

Question 10

What are the mitigation strategies of rip tides?

Answer 10

The understanding of rip current variations and formation

• Understanding seasonal tide impacts and fluctuating beach morphologies
• Developing current forcasting systems.
• Understanding people and their
  behaviours.
• RNLI image recognition research.
• GPS drifters

Question 11

Other forms of mitigation

Answer 11

Beach safety signs and flags

Question 12

What are the lifeboat and lifeguard mitigation strategies

Answer 12

9 Welsh beaches
have seasonal
Lifeguard stations.

• In 2021 the RNLI
  aided 35,247 people
  in 3 months