What is the name of the current that pulls into the sea. Water that destroys lives: the most dangerous current. How to calculate rip current

Last time I wrote about the Taj Mahal, which is located in Agra (see), but now it’s a very serious topic, and if you are going to relax on the sea coast, be sure to read it to the end. We will talk about such a phenomenon as rip. What it is?

Surely many have heard about how one of the tourists drowned in the sea or ocean, and some were even eyewitnesses of such tragedies. During the six months that I lived in Varkala (India), six people drowned in this way, and everything happened not somewhere in the open sea, but not far from the coast.

All these cases are united by the fact that almost all were good swimmers and kept well on the water. The tragedy is that none of them knew about such a phenomenon as rip - rip current in English.

So, this is a rebound or discontinuous flow. To understand how to deal with it and what to do, you need to understand what it is and how it arises.

What is a rip

Rip current - rips - these are streams that occur in shallow water, perpendicular and back to the coast. The waves tend to the shore, but large masses do not have time to return back, and in different places in the sandy bottom, under the pressure of the water, channels appear, along which the water flows back into the sea.

That is, rips are formed in cases where there is a strong pressure of water on the shore, a rapid appears and water rushes from the shore at a high speed of 3.0 m / s, a kind of temporary river on the seashore.

Schematically, this can be seen in the picture:

This is what the river looks like:

Rip currents are not constant, they can occur in different places, and after a while, disappear without a trace.

They vary in width and length. Sometimes these are narrow corridors 2-3 meters wide, but sometimes such a river reaches 100 meters. The length of the rips is very rarely more than 300-400 meters.

People who have been living on the coast for a long time already know how to determine the appearance of the next rip by external signs. The water in them differs in color from other areas, if on both sides it has a blue or green color, in the place of the rip current it can be whitish and foamy.

It is also possible to see how everywhere the waves hit the shore, and in one place it is calm, most often this is the place of the discontinuous current.

Tourists are another matter, some have not even heard of such a dangerous natural phenomenon, and they, especially those who swim poorly, try to enter the water in such “calm” places at first glance. They then put themselves in danger, because, even going waist-deep into the water, you can get into a powerful jet that will drag you into the open sea.

What to do if you get into a rip?

And now the most important thing. Experienced people fell into the rip current and escaped safely, because they knew how to get out of it correctly.

These rules are the most important when swimming, in my personal opinion, tour operators sending people on sea holidays should give out such memos.

And I would also advise you not to swim in the sea-ocean alone, try to go ashore with one of your friends or fellow travelers. If you are already going alone, choose not a deserted place, but one where at least someone is on the shore.

Where do rips often occur?

Judging by information from the Internet, most often rip currents appear in the Mediterranean Sea, especially off the coast of Israel and North Africa. There are small rips in the Azov and Black seas.

But most often they write about rip currents in the Indian Ocean, it seems to me that I observed the rip in Varkala. Often they visit Goa and every year one of the tourists drowns there.

Rips are also frequent in Sri Lanka, in Indonesia, often mentioned, maybe because there are more tourists there, because if no one drowned, then they don’t remember about the dangerous rip current, however, you need to know about it.

If your friends go on a sea vacation, be sure to share this information with them, it is possible that by doing this you will save their life.

Video about rips, it is in English, but it seems to me that everything is clear in it without words.

Many people who feel great in the water do not understand how it is possible to drown near the sea or ocean shore. Most believe that in such cases alcohol intoxication is to blame, but sometimes we are talking about a completely different phenomenon - a rip current.

Here's what it looks like schematically. The picture shows the reverse current towards the sea, it runs perpendicular to the shore:
Rip current, or, as it is also called by foreigners, rip current (rip), is one of the most dangerous phenomena. It is in these currents that both ordinary people and first-class swimmers drown, because they simply do not know how to behave.

You try to resist the current in order to swim out, but nothing happens. A couple of moments, and panic begins ...

The most dangerous for people are the rip currents of shallow seas with a gentle, low-lying coast, which is framed by sand spits, shoals and islets (Gulf of Mexico, Sea of ​​Azov, etc.). In this case, at low tide, the masses of water cannot gradually return to the open sea due to the sand bar holding them back. The water pressure on the narrow strait connecting the estuary with the sea increases sharply. In this place, a rapid is formed, along which water rushes back into the sea at high speed (up to 2.5-3.0 m / s), forming, as it were, a river in the middle of the sea

It looks like a river

Such corridors appear anywhere on the beach, near the shore, during high tides. Waves, one after another, roll in and bring more and more water, then at different speeds they go back to the sea or ocean, forming a reverse current.

In this photo, the streams of seething water are not so pronounced, but the current itself and, unfortunately, the people who fell into it are clearly visible:


How to determine this current, so as not to fall into it? Pay attention to the following markings:

Visible channel of seething water, perpendicular to the shore.

Coastal area with changed water color (say, everything around is blue or green, but some area is white).

A section of foam, some kind of marine vegetation, bubbles, which is steadily moving from the coast to the open sea.

A gap in the general structure of tidal waves (a continuous band of waves, and in the middle there is a 5-10-meter gap).

If you see any of the above, consider yourself lucky and just don't go swimming in this place. What if you don't see any of the 4 signs? So, you are out of luck, because 80% of dangerous spontaneously occurring rips do not visually manifest themselves in any way.

Rip currents occur near the shore. That is, even if you are 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 into the sea. But just those who do not know how to swim do just that - they just stand in the water and enjoy.

Therefore, do not swim alone and, of course, do not ignore the red flags and signs on the beach.

Rules of conduct in the rip current:
1 Don't panic!

When we panic, we are guided by the instinct of self-preservation, and do not rely on common sense. Knowing about the rules of behavior in rip, you will get out in 100 cases out of 100.

2 Save energy!

Don't fight the current and don't paddle back to shore. Unfortunately, it's useless. You need to row not to the shore, but to the side (that is, parallel to the shore). If the rip is narrow (up to 5 meters), you will quickly get out of it.

3 If the rip is wide (from 20 meters or more), what should I do?

It will not be possible to get out of it so easily, even if you row according to the rules - to the side. Once you realize that you can’t get out, you can relax, but don’t panic! The fact is that the reverse current is short-lived, and after 5 minutes it will stop and leave you alone. After that, swim 50-100 meters, first to the side, and only then 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

It is important to consider the following points:
1 Rip will never drag you down.

It's not a whirlpool or a funnel. All the rip currents in the world drag from the shore along the surface, but not to the depth!

2 The rip is not too wide.

Usually its width does not exceed 50 meters. And most often limited to only 10-20 meters. That is, having swum along the coast literally 20-30 meters, you will feel that you have swum out of the rip.

3 Rip length is limited.

The current will weaken rather quickly, the channel ends its "work" where the waves reach their peak and begin to break. In surfer language, this place is called “line up” (line up). In this place, all surfers usually hang out and try to ride the incoming waves. Usually it is no further than 100 meters from the coast.

4 Please tell your friends about this phenomenon. Let as many people as possible learn about the rip currents. Thus, you will save not only your life, but also other people.

In a matter of seconds, it can carry a bather far out to sea. How to avoid it?

dead place

Rips can occur both at sea and in the ocean. More often - on shallow beaches with a gentle, low-lying coast. It happens where no one expects - next to the shore. A man is splashing in the water, enjoying the sun and salt spray, when suddenly he begins to be carried to the sea. The bather is seized with panic: he tries to row towards the shore, but does not approach him even a centimeter. He rows even harder, but in vain - an unknown force pulls him in the other direction. After several minutes of fighting with the sea, even experienced swimmers have no strength left. Rescuers say that most accidents on the water are associated with falling into such currents.

Our reference

Look at both!

Fortunately, in many cases the rip can be calculated. It is not for nothing that the current is called discontinuous - a gap is really visible in the surf line. Here are its signs:

• everywhere the waves roll onto the shore with the same white lambs, but in some area there are no waves - only a strip of water, many bathers go there - they say, the sea is calmer there. But this calm is an appearance;
• another picture: in one place, perpendicular to the shore, a seething river has formed, it foams, bubbles, algae swim in it (and they swim not to the shore, but from the shore). This river is the rip;
• sea ​​of ​​a uniform color, such as turquoise or blue. However, a path of water of a different color “adjoins” the shore. For example, white, blue or purple. Stay away from this path.

No panic!

And if, nevertheless, it was not possible to calculate the rip and you are already being carried from the coast to the sea? In such a situation, the main thing is not to panic and not lose your temper. You can get out of the rip:

• save your strength as much as possible - you don’t need to fight the current and row to the shore, it’s useless. On the contrary, relax as much as possible - let the river carry you. Don't be scared - it won't pull you under the water (it's a surface current!) and won't drag you too far. After 100-150 m, the flow rate should weaken;
• swim perpendicular to the current to break out of the "chute". Having sailed a hundred meters from the rip, turn around to the shore.
• if the rip is wide and long, and your strength is running out, lie on your back and raise your hand so that the rescuers can see you. Take any position that will allow you to relax and stay on the water for a long time.

Safe swimming rules

• Swim at the beaches where there are lifeguards.
• Do not arrange night swims.
• Do not swim alone, especially on wild beaches.
• Do you see warning red flags and rip current signs on the shore? In the water - not a foot.
• Do not leave children alone in the water! Even in shallow water, even if the sea is calm. Be there.

Lyubava Greshnova:

I really love big waves on the sea or ocean and I am happy to choose hotels where there are such. Fortunately, God spared from undercurrents ... Always check whether there are such currents first with the tour operator, then with the owner of the hotel. You can even chat with the locals. Don't ignore warnings. If the beach is closed, swim in the pool.

We, as a rule, are very surprised at the seemingly completely ridiculous death in the water of people who know how to swim and feel confident at depth. Often, alcohol intoxication is considered the cause of such inexplicable accidents, but in reality, a phenomenon takes life, which, alas, only a few know about - a rip current.

We will talk about what it is and how to escape if you are not lucky enough to be in such an unfortunate place.

So, rip current is a very, very dangerous thing that can kill even professional swimmers.

Attempts to get away from the current lead to nothing, and the person is simply seized by a panic state.

The most dangerous is considered to be the rip currents of shallow seas with gentle shores, since sandy spits do not allow water to return to the sea at low tide. The water pressure in the strait connecting the estuary and the sea increases, which forms a rapid, and in the middle of the sea a kind of river appears with a flow rate of up to 2.5-3.0 m / s.




This is how it looks when the flow is reversed towards the sea, perpendicular to the shore.

This often happens near the beach during high tides, after which the waves return at different speeds, forming a reverse current.

This is how it might look:



The seething water is not visible here, but the current itself is noticeable and, alas, the people who fell into it:





As a rule, the rip current corridor is narrow: 2-3 meters with a current speed of 4-5 km/h. This rip is not dangerous. But if its width reaches 50 m, and the length is 200-400 meters with a current speed of 15 km / h, this phenomenon becomes deadly!




The signs of a rip current are:

• a section of bubbling water perpendicular to the shore
• area near the shore with a changed color of the water
• foam, algae and bubbles that move steadily from the shore to the open sea
• discontinuities in continuous wave bands

But it should be remembered that 80% of dangerous rip currents are usually invisible!

As a rule, rips occur near the shore and can carry a person standing in the water to the waist into the sea, so you should not go into the water alone, especially if you are not a very good swimmer.

Rules of conduct in the rip current

• Do not panic! Calm down and use your common sense. Remember that if you know these rules, in 100 cases out of 100 you will be able to get out of the current!
• Save your strength! Do not resist the current and do not swim to the shore - it is useless. Begin to swim calmly to the side, parallel to the shore. If the rip is narrow, you will get out of it very soon.
• If the rip is wide (from 20 meters or more)... If it became clear that the rip is wide enough, you should relax on the water and not panic. Remember that the reverse current cannot be long, which means that after 5 minutes it will stop, after which you can swim in the direction of 50-100 meters and head towards the shore. Do not swim towards the shore, as soon as you feel that the current has stopped, it may arise again!

Remember the following!

• Fender techEnenie never pulls to the bottom. It's not a whirlpool. It moves from the coast along the surface, and not in depth.
• The rip current corridors are not wide. Often their width does not exceed 50 meters, and even more often - 10-20 m. That is, you can get out of the rip by swimming 20-30 meters along the coast.
• The length of the rip current is limited. It quickly weakens and ends where the waves peak and break. Surfers call this the "line up" where they usually try to catch a wave. It is located no further than 100 meters from the shore.

This information can save the lives of your family and friends. Share this post with them!

Usually, when we learn that during the holiday season someone drowned in the sea near the coast, then. of course, only one conclusion suggests itself: this person did not know how to swim, or, having drunk a certain amount of alcohol, he decided to freshen up. No wonder: for those who are good swimmers or even just can confidently stay on the water, it is difficult to understand how to get into trouble, where sometimes the depth is ridiculous and you can fall to the bottom at any moment. But there are times when the cause of trouble is not alcohol or the inability to swim.

On any sea coast, be it the Gulf of Mexico, the Black Sea or a lagoon on the island of Bali, one can observe a very dangerous, but little-known phenomenon - a rip current, which is often also called a “rip” and “rip” (from the English rip current). For those who know about this phenomenon and have an idea of ​​what exactly needs to be done, being in the zone of its influence, as a rule, it does not pose a particular danger. But those who have never heard and, accordingly, do not know what needs to be done, may not be able to cope with the rip current even as first-class swimmers.

What is it? Imagine: you swim from the shore, then turn back, but you cannot reach the shore, despite the fact that you are trying to swim as much as you have strength. You seem to be “trampling” in one place or, in the worst case, you feel that you are gradually being carried away from the shore farther and farther. Attempts to change anything lead to nothing, your strength is fading, and you, naturally, start to panic.

In order to learn how to cope with such a phenomenon, you must first understand how a rip is formed. This is a kind of sea (ocean) current; its main distinguishing feature is that it always moves at right angles to the coastline. Rips are formed by the outflow of water from the shore after high tide.

Oddly enough, the greatest danger is represented by rip currents in shallow water with gently sloping banks, where sandy spits, shallows, and islands form. There are a lot of such places, for example, in the Sea of ​​Azov. In such areas, the water, returning to the sea at low tide, encounters obstacles in its path - sand bars. The strait connecting the sea with the estuary is usually very narrow, and therefore the water pressure at the time of low tide increases many times over. As a result, a stream is formed, the speed of which is up to 3 m/s.

In the figure, this can be represented as follows.

Thus, at high tide, “corridors” appear near the shore after a certain distance. Waves bring water mass, which then returns to the sea at different speeds, forming ripples.

As a rule, the width of the "corridor" - rip - is small, no more than two or three meters. The speed of water movement along this “corridor” is about 4–5 km/h. Such rips do not pose any danger, including for those who absolutely do not know how to stay on the water. But there are rips about 50 m wide, up to 500 m or more long, and the water speed can reach 15–20 km/h! These rips can really pose a serious threat even to experienced swimmers.

In order not to get into a rip, you need to know how to recognize it. So, rip has the following features:

a well-distinguished band of seething water goes from the shore into the sea perpendicular to the shore;

· zones with water of a different color or with water covered with foam are visible on the shallows;

· near the coast we can clearly distinguish the area with water, which constantly carries foam, seaweed, bubbles in the direction from the coast to the sea;

The tidal wave is interrupted in several places by a strip 5 to 10 m wide.

If you saw any of these signs, then you are lucky: in order to avoid danger, it is enough not to enter the water in this place. However, keep in mind that 80% of spontaneously formed rips cannot be visually recognized. Those who cannot swim usually go into the water up to their waist or chest and splash in the water without suspecting anything. But since the rip current occurs near the shore, the rip can pick up and carry into the open sea even from the shallows. So if you can't swim, don't go swimming alone and take warning red flags and signs on the beach seriously.

Now let's look at how to behave if you are caught in a rip current.

1. The main thing is to keep calm. Remember that people who know what to do, once in a rip, are almost always saved.

2. Use your energy wisely. There is no point in rowing against the current with all your might - you will lose your strength, but at best you will remain in place. You need to swim to the side, not to the shore, but along it. As a rule, the rips are narrow, only a few meters wide, and if you move to the side, you will quickly get out.

3. As you move, analyze the situation. If you swim to the side and do not stand still, but the current does not stop, then you are in a wide rip, from 20 m. Do not panic. The wide rip is small in length, and in a few minutes the current will stop. Set sail 50-100 meters to the side and calmly return to the shore.

Remember the following:

The rip will not sink to the bottom, because it is not a whirlpool or a funnel. The upper layer of water, which moves at high speed, pulls from the shore along the surface, and not to the depth.

The maximum width of the rip is 50 m, but, as already mentioned, such rips are rare. It is usually enough to swim along the coastline 20-25 m to swim out of the rip current zone.

The current very soon weakens and loses strength at the point where the waves break. Surfers call this place line up; it is usually located at a distance of no more than 100 m from the coast.