How to Get Out of an Undertow: A Guide to Staying Safe in the Ocean
Published on: 11/02/2025
One of the most common and life-threatening dangers swimmers face is being caught in an undertow, rip current, or riptide.
Beach
One of the most common and life-threatening dangers swimmers face is being caught in an undertow, rip current, or riptide.
An undertow is a subsurface current that moves offshore when waves break near the shore. As waves crash onto the beach, water is pushed up the shore, and gravity then pulls it back into the ocean beneath the incoming waves.