How to Avoid Getting Caught in a Rip Current
How to avoid rip currents at the beach: check the beach forecast, talk to the lifeguard, swim only where lifeguards are on duty, and know that rip currents often form on calm, sunny days.
Source: NOAA / National Weather Service. Not endorsed by NOAA / National Weather Service or the U.S. Government.
Last checked against the source 2 October 2026
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How to use this document
Who it's for: beachgoers planning a swim.
How to read it: a short checklist for before you go in: the beach forecast, the lifeguard, and where to swim.
Read alongside: Before You Go in the Water · Tsunamis
What's in it
- Surf/Rip Resources
The full text
- Play It Safe Videos: Gulf Coast Beaches | Great Lakes
- Watch Dr. Greg Dusek discuss rip current awareness.
- Check water conditions before going in by looking at the local beach forecast before you leave for the beach and talking to the lifeguard at the beach.
- Only swim at a beach with lifeguards. The chances of drowning at a beach with lifeguards are 1 in 18 million (U.S. Lifesaving Association).
- Don't assume! Great weather for the beach does not always mean it's safe to swim or even play in the shallows. Rip currents often form on calm, sunny days.
- What are scientists doing to keep swimmers safer? Find out in this video: Predict the Rip
- Rip currents aren't the only deadly beach hazard. Learn more about dangerous waves and other hazards and why you should never to turn your back on the ocean.
Third party sources that promote rip current and beach safety information are listed on this page and on pages on this safety website. NWS does not endorse these non-federal sites. Any fee or payment required for service is the responsibility of the consumer.
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