Rips

[Mayor of Kookville]

I've seen some Rip current rescues on YouTube, read all sorts of stories - but having surfed on Long Island for a year and half, travelled a fair amount (PR, California) - I'm not entirely sure I've actually, for real, come across a rip current. Sure, I've felt the water moving out to sea, but nothing that was crazy. I've definitely SEEN spots where it's like "yeah, there's foam there, brown water, that's a rip.." but probably haven't felt or been in one. I also usually walk/paddle out, rather than ride a rip by the jetty etc.
Are rips a case of you'll know it when you're in it? Are they a real issue for surfers -
Folks that:
- are spending a lot of time in the water
- reasonable swimmers
- Have been freaked by huge waves from time to time
- Have been held under water longer than they wanted from time to tie
- Have been flipped around under water

[little_nasty]

all that really matters is that you don't panic and wear yourself out fighting it.  but yea, a real rip will be pretty unmistakeable.  But there's degrees.

[The Lone Surfer]

I've seen some Rip current rescues on YouTube, read all sorts of stories - but having surfed on Long Island for a year and half, travelled a fair amount (PR, California) - I'm not entirely sure I've actually, for real, come across a rip current.

wow, where do you surf? I could use a rest from the rips I usually have to paddle against.

[Joe Bama!]

I use the rip to get me out most of the time, sucks me right out, BAM!

[Looseness]

I've seen some Rip current rescues on YouTube, read all sorts of stories - but having surfed on Long Island for a year and half, travelled a fair amount (PR, California) - I'm not entirely sure I've actually, for real, come across a rip current.

wow, where do you surf? I could use a rest from the rips I usually have to paddle against.

Aren't you talking more about drift than a rip?

[Joe Bama!]

I hate DRIFT, almost as much as I hate Conservative Republican Politicians.

[frr#cK]

Yea , there is a difference here.  A Rip, as in a RIP CURRENT, is usually formed next to structures and in between sandbars and suck you out.... A DRIFT or SWEEP is created by a SWELL hitting on angle to the coastline..usually means you cant stay in one spot for very long without being swept down the beach.  I use the rip by a rock jetty to get me out and around to the take off zone quicker...espeicallly in situations where there is a strong rip from east to west.

[SeaCliff]

Yea , there is a difference here.  A Rip, as in a RIP CURRENT, is usually formed next to structures and in between sandbars and suck you out.... A DRIFT or SWEEP is created by a SWELL hitting on angle to the coastline..usually means you cant stay in one spot for very long without being swept down the beach.  I use the rip by a rock jetty to get me out and around to the take off zone quicker...espeicallly in situations where there is a strong rip from east to west.

spot on.

[The Lone Surfer]

Yea , there is a difference here.  A Rip, as in a RIP CURRENT, is usually formed next to structures and in between sandbars and suck you out.... A DRIFT or SWEEP is created by a SWELL hitting on angle to the coastline..usually means you cant stay in one spot for very long without being swept down the beach.  I use the rip by a rock jetty to get me out and around to the take off zone quicker...espeicallly in situations where there is a strong rip from east to west.

I'm not sure about this. I've surfed spots where the swell was dead on and there was still a bad sideshore littoral drift. I think I even posted about this once and a few folks said it was all about the bathymetry.

[HydroGlide]

I've seen some Rip current rescues on YouTube, read all sorts of stories - but having surfed on Long Island for a year and half, travelled a fair amount (PR, California) - I'm not entirely sure I've actually, for real, come across a rip current. Sure, I've felt the water moving out to sea, but nothing that was crazy. I've definitely SEEN spots where it's like "yeah, there's foam there, brown water, that's a rip.." but probably haven't felt or been in one. I also usually walk/paddle out, rather than ride a rip by the jetty etc.
Are rips a case of you'll know it when you're in it? Are they a real issue for surfers -
Folks that:
- are spending a lot of time in the water
- reasonable swimmers
- Have been freaked by huge waves from time to time
- Have been held under water longer than they wanted from time to tie
- Have been flipped around under water

I hear what your saying about never finding a textbook rip that sucks unsuspecting swimmers out to the middle of the sea in some foaming, swirling vortex of death.  the majority of rips are kind of like the UnderToad in The World According to Garp - there is danger but not as much danger as imagined by the beach media - at least not for the competent swimmer with ocean knowledge and awareness of surroundings - which every surfer should be. That being said I helped 3 local kids get out of a dangerous rip at a spot on the north coast of PR this March that seemed to have formed after that massive swell hit - it wasn't much trouble for me but could have been deadly for them - especially in a spot with no police, lifeguards or other helpful people about (the mom asked me to help as I exited the water and I felt lucky to be there at that time).

[Looseness]

Yea , there is a difference here.  A Rip, as in a RIP CURRENT, is usually formed next to structures and in between sandbars and suck you out.... A DRIFT or SWEEP is created by a SWELL hitting on angle to the coastline..usually means you cant stay in one spot for very long without being swept down the beach.  I use the rip by a rock jetty to get me out and around to the take off zone quicker...espeicallly in situations where there is a strong rip from east to west.

I'm not sure about this. I've surfed spots where the swell was dead on and there was still a bad sideshore littoral drift. I think I even posted about this once and a few folks said it was all about the bathymetry.

Yeah I remember that. Funny how at Rock there can be this vicious drift on one tide and then it can back off almost completely or on occasion switch direction near the jetty. I think it's kind of a grey area then when the pull is over a large area as to if it's drift or rip....

[The Lone Surfer]

but of course, there is a generally worse drift with an east swell. I would kill for the waves the come with a bad drift right now.

[frr#cK]

but of course, there is a generally worse drift with an east swell. I would kill for the waves the come with a bad drift right now.

this is more what I was referring to....

[Looseness]

but of course, there is a generally worse drift with an east swell. I would kill for the waves the come with a bad drift right now.

this is more what I was referring to....

Ah the good old months, paddling to stay on the peak until a set comes, catching two waves and running back up the beach and jumping in the rip to get back out.....

[SeaCliff]

but of course, there is a generally worse drift with an east swell. I would kill for the waves the come with a bad drift right now.

this is more what I was referring to....

Ah the good old months, paddling to stay on the peak until a set comes, catching two waves and running back up the beach and jumping in the rip to get back out.....

Yeah.

*sigh*