Beach Safety (Rip Tides)
Every year, many families flock to the beautiful Welsh shores, and as the weather gets warmer, many people will enter the water for paddling, bathing, swimming, or simply having fun.
You should remember that the underwater landscape is ever-changing due to storms coming in off the Atlantic which causes pressurised water to move the sand creating new banks (think of it as underwater sand dunes), and once newly formed the tides move in between and around these sandbanks much quicker than before.
A good way to think of these channels is to envisage them as underwater rivers, and that every river should have a riverside bank.
So in the event, this happens to you on a non-windy day whilst out paddleboarding or swimming in the sea do try to stay calm, don't fight the current back to shore burning your energy, just simply swim or paddle parallel to the shore. You should find that the current will eventually subside (you'll find the bank) and you can swim safely back to the beach!
- Do not try to swim against it or you’ll get exhausted.
- If you can stand, wade don’t swim.
- If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore.
- Always raise your hand and shout for help
Would you like a picture? Our mascot Dai surely loves SUP Safety and helping out, so here he is again very happy to break it down for you..
