How to Spot a Rip Current & Get Yourself to Safety

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Swim instructor Jacob Siegel explains what to do if you’re caught in a rip current

Co-authored by Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: April 6, 2026 Fact Checked

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Rip Current Signs

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Avoiding a Rip

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Getting Out of a Rip

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What is a rip current?

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Myths

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Video

We all love a day at the beach, but it can be seriously scary to think about the dangers of the ocean—especially when it comes to something like rip currents, which can rapidly pull you out to sea before you even realize they’re there. We’ve partnered with a swim instructor to put together this authoritative guide on how to identify a rip current, avoid one once you’ve spotted it, and escape one if you’re caught in it. We’ll also go over the ins and outs of what a rip current actually is, as well as debunk some myths about these churning ocean channels.

How do you identify and avoid a rip current?

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An illustration showing a diagram of ocean waves and how to visually identify a rip current.

Swim instructor Jacob Siegel says a rip current looks like a narrow strip of choppy, discolored water where waves aren’t breaking. The water might look darker, muddier, or more filled with debris than nearby water. Rips often look like calmer breaks between waves, but they can also appear choppy in calmer waters.

Section 1 of 5:

How to Spot Signs of a Rip Current

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Look for dark, muddy, and (usually) calmer gaps between waves. “Rip currents look like narrow strips of choppy, discolored water where waves aren’t breaking,” Siegel explains.^{[1]
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Jacob Siegel
Swim Instructor

Expert Interview} Look for narrow gaps or channels of darker, muddier-looking water within the larger body of water. They’re typically about 50-100 feet (15-30 meters) wide, but they can be wider or narrower.^{[2]
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- Look for stripes of water that have a notable difference in color from the rest of the ocean or lake. When surrounded by waves, the rip current is likely to look much calmer than the waves around it, making it look deceptively inviting.
- However, in calmer waters, a rip current’s surface may take on a churning or choppy motion, especially in areas of low wave movements.
- As a general rule, look for a channel of water that looks different in texture or color from the water around it.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Jacob Siegel is a swim instructor and founder of Superhero Swim Academy, which opened in 2018.
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Look for any areas where debris is consistently being pulled out to sea. Rip currents move rapidly from the shore and back out to sea. So, you may notice areas where foam, seaweed, sticks, or other types of debris are being consistently pulled out to sea in a steady line. In some cases, seeing floating debris heading out to sea like this can indicate a rip current, so it’s best to avoid these areas.^{[3]
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- If the rip currents are very strong, you might even be able to see the water flowing away from the beach. However, it’s usually easier for the human eye to spot this phenomenon via the debris trapped in the current.
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Siegel recommends staying away from piers and jetties since rips commonly form there.^{[4]
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Jacob Siegel
Swim Instructor

Expert Interview} While rips can form anywhere, they’re most likely to form near these smaller structures (sandbars, piers, jetties, etc.) Be especially careful and attentive to paths of water flowing in or around these types of structures.^{[5]
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If possible, get yourself to higher ground to look for a rip current. Siegel says it’s much easier to spot a rip current from higher ground.^{[6]
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Jacob Siegel
Swim Instructor

Expert Interview} If you can, try to get an aerial view of the water from a parking lot, hill, dune, or any nearby structure.^{[7]
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- Siegel says you can also ask a lifeguard or look for flags. “Lifeguards usually fly specific colored flags to notify people of when to swim and when not too,” he says.^{[8]
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- Rip currents can be incredibly difficult to spot. If you’re ever unsure, ask a lifeguard or educate yourself about whether or not rips are common in the area you’re swimming in.

Section 2 of 5:

How to Avoid a Rip Current

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If you see a rip but aren’t caught in it, stay out of the water and alert a lifeguard. If you’re able to spot a rip current without actually being close to it, the first thing you should do is stay out of the water or immediately get out of the water, then inform a lifeguard. If you see any swimmers close to the rip current, yell at them to get out of the water. If you see someone caught in a rip tide, tell a lifeguard immediately and call your local emergency number (911 for the USA).^{[9]
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- If you can, throw the swimmer a flotation device while they wait for help, but do not attempt to rescue the person yourself, unless you are a certified life guard or similar professional.
Lifeguarded beaches should have trained staff who are constantly on the lookout for rip tides. Usually, these lifeguards will place flags in the water to show swimmers where it’s safe to swim, without having to worry (too much) about rip tides. In the interest of general water safety and drowning prevention, try to exclusively swim at lifeguarded beaches and always stay within the designated swimming area.^{[10]
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Section 3 of 5:

How to Escape a Rip Current

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To escape a rip, swim parallel to the shore until you’re out of the current. Siegel says a rip current will pull you out rather than under the water. “People drown from panicking and exhausting themselves fighting it," he explains.^{[11]
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Jacob Siegel
Swim Instructor

Expert Interview} If you’re caught in a rip current, stay as calm as possible and don’t try to swim against it or fight it. It’s impossible to swim against a rip current, and you’ll only exhaust yourself by doing so. “Don’t swim straight back to shore. Swim parallel to the shore until you’re free of the pull, then angle back in diagonally,” Siegel instructs.^{[12]
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Jacob Siegel
Swim Instructor

Expert Interview} If you feel like you have the breath and energy, draw attention to yourself however possible—call, shout, raise your hand, and wave for help.^{[13]
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- If you’re caught in a rip tide but you’re able to stand, avoid swimming—instead, wade through the water and move parallel to the shoreline until you’re free of the rip and can walk toward the beach.
- If you cannot get out of the rip or to shore by swimming, float or tread water, and try to draw attention to yourself. “If you can’t escape it, float and signal for help since it weakens further out,” Siegel says. “The one thing to burn into your memory is that fighting it head-on is what gets people killed.”^{[14]
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Section 4 of 5:

What is a rip current?

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A rip current is a powerful current of water that moves away from the shore. Rip currents are channels of concentrated water that quickly flow from the shoreline, past breaking waves, and out to sea. They can be very narrow, or they can span up to 50 yards (45 meters). These currents are highly dangerous, and they’re usually named as the leading cause of beach or ocean rescues—in fact, according to a 2019 study, rip currents were the primary cause of 81.9% of rescues on surf beaches in the United States. And, experts at the United States Lifesaving Association stated that, in the U.S., at least 100 deaths per year are attributed to rip currents.^{[15]
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- But, how do rip currents form? In a nutshell, an incoming wave pushes water toward the shore, which leads to an excessive amount of water accumulating in the surf zone. In order to balance itself out, this water tries to find a non-resistant path through the surf and back out to sea (e.g., a gap in a sandbar). This rapidly flowing water moves through whatever gap it can find—which is when the current is at its strongest—then continues onto the sea, where it starts to spread out and weaken.^{[16]
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Section 5 of 5:

Debunking Myths About Rip Currents

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MYTH: A rip current is the same as a rip tide. Despite their similar names, rip currents and rip tides are not the same! Rip currents are caused by breaking waves, and they’re *currents* that move quickly away from the beach. Rip tides, on the other hand, are caused by tidal water. They’re usually observed in tidal inlets, harbors, and bays, and they’re actually wider and more powerful than rip currents.^{[17]
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MYTH: A rip current is an “undertow” that can pull you underwater. Rip currents are often referred to as “undertows,” implying that they pull you under the ocean waves—which they actually don’t do! Rip currents stay on the surface of the water, so they can carry swimmers away from the shore, but not under the water. An undertow is a thing, though, but it’s a pretty brief surge of water returning to the sea, and it also won’t hold you underwater (although it may pull you down temporarily).^{[18]
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MYTH: Rip currents will sweep you all the way out to sea. Okay, this one’s a little complex. Rip currents certainly can carry you out to sea, but they generally will only pull you just past the breaking waves. This could be hundreds of feet (or a couple hundred meters) from the shoreline, but it’s rare to be pulled all the way out to the sea and end up a mile (1.5 km) or more from the shoreline.^{[19]
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MYTH: Rip currents only occur in bad weather with massive waves. Rip currents can happen on even the clearest and sunniest days with super calm waves—they definitely don’t only happen during storms or under massively windy conditions. Even if the waves are only 1–2 feet (0.30–0.61 m) tall, a rip current can still happen.^{[20]
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MYTH: Rip currents only happen in the ocean. Rip currents are most common in the ocean, but they can happen in any large body of water that has breaking waves. This includes large lakes, including the Great Lakes, as well as sizable bays, inland seas, and harbors.^{[21]
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