SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/trav-rip-current

If caught in a rip current, which way should you swim first?

Swim parallel to the shore first.

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  1. Straight to shore
  2. Straight out to sea
  3. Parallel to the shore ✔

Why: Rip currents pull you away from shore quickly. CDC says swim parallel to shore until you are free, then swim diagonally back toward shore.

Huh, didn't know that: CDC says never swim alone in unfamiliar waters, even if you are a strong swimmer.

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What did the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean say when they met? Nothing. They just waved!
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References

Answer: Parallel to the shore. Rip currents pull you away from shore quickly. CDC says swim parallel to shore until you are free, then swim diagonally back toward shore.

  1. CDC Travelers' Health: Safe Swimming and Diving wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/safe-swimming-diving
    swim parallel to the shore until free from the rip current
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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