re: Rip tides: Beach’s deaths along Dauphin Island to Destin this week

I live part time on the coast and am in the water most days when there. Ive been caught in one one time, but I am obsessed with them. I follow Dr. RipTides work and just rode it out and eventually was brought back in with the surf.

Since then I have been even more obsessed. The feeling of that last touch of your toe to the sand as you are pulled away is absolutely terrifying even for strong swimmers and people with all the rip current knowledge that you could possibly have. I definitely tried to swim for a couple of seconds, because you are certain you can get that toe back in the sand if you just swim hard.

Anyway, they are truly amazing forces, and in most cases doing nothing is best (dr rip tide advocates AGAINST) swimming parrallel...just ride it out floating and wait to be carried back in the surf. They can only happen with breaking waves so by default the surf will be comming back in at some point.

The feeling of thinking that you are getting closer, and then your foot finally touches is amazing.