Rip currents continue to make victims in Volusia County. What makes them so dangerous?

A day of swimming at the beach can quickly turn deadly whenever rip currents are present.

Imagine floating along with the surf when suddenly a strong flow of water knocks you off balance — sometimes moving up to 8 feet per second — pulling you farther away from shore.

That is the moment when beachgoers realize they're caught in a rip current.

Every year, tens of thousands of swimmers nationwide are swept up by rip currents, which kill an estimated 100 people annually, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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"People tend to underestimate the power of a rip current quite often.”

That is what Volusia County Beach Safety Deputy Chief Tammy Malphurs recently told The News-Journal when one man died after being caught in a rip current in Daytona Beach. A second man died, but it is unclear whether a rip current was to blame.

The dangerous surf conditions were not a surprise going into the previous weekend.

Beach Safety reported more than 100 ocean rescues during the week prior to Memorial Day weekend. Over the three-day weekend, lifeguards performed more than 300 rescues.

Despite repeated warnings from Beach Safety officials, a few beachgoers still try to brave the treacherous water, unaware of its real danger.

Here is a look at what rip currents are, why they are dangerous, and how to avoid them.

What's a rip current?

NOAA describes rip currents as “powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water” away from shore.

They can reach speeds of up to 8 feet per second (approx. 5.5 mph), “faster than an Olympic swimmer,” and “typically extend from the shoreline, through the surf zone, and past the line of breaking waves.”

Rip currents happen all along both U.S. coasts and the Great Lakes.

What causes rip currents to develop?

In Volusia County, with a dynamic tide activity, rip currents are a common threat to beachgoers.  

But especially after two tropical storms (Ian and Nicole) that caused high surges and sand erosion in 2022, combined with “higher than usual” tides over the past few weeks, according to Malphurs, rip currents are even more likely to happen.

Alex Miller, a captain with the county’s Beach Safety team, told The News-Journal after Memorial Day that "with the loss of elevation of the beach sands from the hurricanes (Ian and Nicole), we have different areas that wouldn't normally have larger rip currents.”

The water from the high tides “punch holes in the sandbar,” and as it travels over the holes, rip currents develop.

“Once the flowing water passes through the narrow gap, it begins to spread out,” according to NOAA. “It is here where the velocity and strength of the rip current circulation begin to weaken considerably.”

What do rip currents feel like?

Rip currents can be especially dangerous to “weak or non-swimmers,” according to NOAA.

Despite the sensation of something under the water pulling you down, rip currents move horizontally and pull people away from the shore and not under the water.

They are typically the strongest about a foot off of the bottom, “which can cause your feet to be knocked out from under you making it feel like something under the water was pulling you.”

How to survive a rip current

Volusia’s Beach Safety encourages those who are caught in a rip current to:

• Remain calm and do not fight the current. Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current and then swim to the shore.
• If you are unable to swim out of the current, calmly float or tread water. If you are unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving or yelling for help.
• If you see someone in trouble, don't become a victim too. Throw the person something that floats. Get help from a lifeguard or call 911.

What does a rip current look like?

Signs of a rip current are "subtle" and "difficult" to identify, according to NOAA.

"Look for differences in the water color, water motion, incoming wave shape or breaking point compared to adjacent conditions," the administration suggests.

In order to avoid rip currents altogether, beachgoers should always find a staffed lifeguard tower to swim in front of. Information on where to find one, as well as on real-time surf conditions and other safety tips can be found in the Volusia Beaches app (volusia.org).