freakin out

[dudess]

surfing's something i've always wanted o do but i get completely freaked out when i think of rip tides!
i'm OK at swimmin (can swim 50 meters) but rip tides are called RIP for a reason. I live in england- rae the common here?
any advice for one hardcore scaredy cat?

[drowningbitbybit]

Yes, rips are as common in england as anywhere else

You said in your other thread that you're gonna take lessons (good plan...), they always have a bit of tuition about water safety and how to spot and avoid a rip, and what to do if you get stuck in one (swim, sideways, with it! Not against it!)

[rctkj]

Rips are your friend when you know how to use them. Learn about how they work and why they exist. People that are afraid of rips lack knowledge, read! As far as swimming is concerned, when you surf you are in the Ocean/water, knowing how to swim is a good idea.

[Phil]

yeah they are great for geting out back but if your an inexperanced surfer or dont know the area stay well away from them

being able to swim 50 meters is not much but i wouldnt worry to much though the more you surf the better you will get

[gulfsurfer]

You beat me to it Phil, i was just fixing to laugh about him being able to swim 50 meters.

[Momentum]

surfing's something i've always wanted o do but i get completely freaked out when i think of rip tides!
i'm OK at swimmin (can swim 50 meters) but rip tides are called RIP for a reason. I live in england- rae the common here?
any advice for one hardcore scaredy cat?

Yeah They use to freak me out aswell, but the thing to do is use them to your advantage, for example, rips tend to take you right out the back just past the breaking point.. so instead of worrying about them use them to get you out the back without to much effort, its alot easyer and you will find many surfers do this at rough beaches.

[TokyotheKid]

i think they're easy to get out of, you just swim to the side till you're not pulled out to sea anymore

[sinistapenguin]

I agree that rips can be your friend, but they can be dangerous.

It's a good idea to watch the surfers for a while - you should be able to see where the rips are.

If you're still worried, ask another surfer (who looks like they know what they're doing) They should be able to tell you if/ where the rips are.

As 'drowning' says, just don't try and fight against a rip - you WILL lose. Go with the flow, but paddle at an angle and you will get out of it - it may mean you have a little further to paddle afterwards, but that's better than a lungful of water!!

[Phil]

i think they're easy to get out of, you just swim to the side till you're not pulled out to sea anymore

some are yes but i know a few that can be extreamly dangerious and not at all easy to get out of it depends on the break

[dudess]

You beat me to it Phil, i was just fixing to laugh about him being able to swim 50 meters.

By the way, i've had to teach myself to swim over the past few months 'cos i've only recently been alloud to go to the local swimming centre by myself (i'm twelve) and my parents don't like swimming so i havn't barely touched water deep enough to swim in before the past few months
but i am pretty proud that i tought myself how to swim and am getting better.
p.s. thanx for all the great advice

[gulfsurfer]

That sucks