Surfing Waves

haha this is probably the dumbest question ever.. but.. could i notice it if I was caught in a rip? like.. would i be like dragged backwards noticably? or would it be more like a slow mellow kind of thing that i wouldnt notice until i realize that there is no more land infront of me.. lol
if it is noticable.. then i dont seem to ever have been caught in one? i just want to be aware when it happens.. dont want to find myself floating off to hawaii.. well actually.. maybe i do.. lol

TReMoR wrote: this is probably the dumbest question ever..

Nah, you've asked far dumber questions

Generally, yes, you'll know you're in a rip.
If its cross shore, you'll have difficulty moving forward (either paddling or walking) and will go sideways.
If its going out to sea, then you'll find yourself paddling out much faster than you ever have before (this is a good thing).

The exception to this is when you're sitting out back and you drift sideways into the path of an outgoing rip. Then you might get pushed out to sea without realising it, or find that you cant paddle in. Now's the time to paddle sideways, the way you were drifting, until you're out of it.

you shouldn't worry about rip unless you're in big surf. the rip will never take you to hawaii, it'll take you to norcal or sandiego in approximately 2 week.

Other things that make me notice the rips are the choppy water all around me and the absence of surfable waves. It takes a while to recognise it when you are just beginning, but after a few times you will definitely be able to tell. Spotting the rips from the shore is a different story all together and an art I am only slowly mastering.

Rips are great to paddle out in when it is larger. As Thibb said there are not good waves in a rip to surf. So catch a ride out and when your past the breakers paddle sideways to the break. In most cases the rip only goes out another 30 to 40 yards past the breakers then subsides. You wont lose site of land.

Actually no, you won't always notice you're sitting in one if it's mild. Surf's been small around here and there have been several days this summer where my friend and I were just sitting around waiting for something, anything and then all of a sudden notice we've been pulled a few hundred feet further out. But it's not big deal, you just paddle left or right a few feet to get out of it then paddle back in. It's not like you're being pulled way out to sea and at a super fast pace and can't get back in.

drowningbitbybit wrote:
[....]an outgoing rip. Then you might get pushed out to sea without realising it, or find that you cant paddle in. Now's the time to paddle sideways, the way you were drifting, until you're out of it.

In my one experience of getting stuck in a rip this is a little more difficult than it sounds - since found out that in that situation I should have let the rip carry me out till it finished and then paddled across and then in.

NB - taking a good look at the water before paddling would have shown that the swell direction would make paddling across the rip difficult. Always have a good look before paddling in.

yeah spend like 10-20 minutes watching the waves and see where people are going etc..

To be honest you will always know when your in a rip because its going to always drag you somewhere, unless you are immune to rape like activities..