Ask Margaret
by Margaret Word Burnside
Being caught in any sort of involuntary pull by natural forces,
such as water and waves can be a frightening experience, even
if you are a strong, experienced swimmer. However, just for the
record, although undertows and rip currents are often spoken
of interchangeably, the two should not be confused with one
another. Not all scientists are convinced that undertows even
exist. In fact, most contend that if they do, they are neither the
same nor as dangerous as rip currents.
I still have vivid memories of being uncontrollably pulled
under and tossed around by the very waters and waves, that
as a young girl, I had just been playing in along the shore of
Indian Rocks Beach. Although I was an accomplished enough
swimmer to be in Clearwater Beach’s Red Cross swimming
classes with teenagers twice my age, it didn’t matter. I was
totally helpless. Fortunately for me, my father’s childhood friend,
Harvey Hannah, and his family were visiting from Virginia.
Mr Hannah, who years later, was my husband Aaron’s first boss
in Washington D.C., ran in and plucked me out of the watery
turmoil. I was sure that my life, if not my pride, had just been
saved from an “undertow,” which was the descriptive term used
in this area at that time.
The scientists who accept the concept of an undertow describe
it as the backwash of water, which occurs after a wave has broken
and traveled onto the beach, then returned seaward. This return
action is often strong enough to cause a wader to lose his or her
balance. The next incoming wave, and not the pull of the surf
zone forces associated with a rip current, may cause an undertow
victim to be immersed under the water. Undertows, while not to
be ignored, are by far the lesser of the two evils when compared
to rip currents.
Rip currents, which according to The National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service,
sometimes erroneously referred to as “rip tides,” are extremely
dangerous. They are responsible for 80% of beach rescues and
over 100 drownings a year in our country. Rip currents can
be caused by the backwash of a powerful wave, after it has
reached the beach and is heading back out to sea. The force of
its movement along the water’s sandy bottom can have enough
force to carry you with it away from shore, cause you to loose
your balance and/or possibly even pull you under the water.
If you are fortunate, the upsetting current caused by the first
wave may be counteracted by the movement of the next wave
that is heading towards you and the shoreline.
The strong, fast moving water associated with rip currents
140 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016
can pull you away from the shore and sweep you off your feet
even in shallow water, where these treacherous currents are
actually at their worst. You may be diving into a wave, only to
surface much further from the beach than you expected. These
currents are similar to a natural treadmill that is able to travel
one to two, or even as fast as eight, feet per second.
Rip currents can be caused by factors such as the weather,
tides, variations in the shoreline’s shape and the ways in which
the waves are breaking off shore. Some form consistently in the
same location, however, that is not always the case. Although
these relatively unseen threats are more likely to occur along a
beach that has breaking waves, the most dangerous and fastacting
currents usually appear during low tides near sandbars,
piers or jetties. These erratic phenomena can form at any time,
even when the water is calm and the the sky is sunny. However,
they are most prevalent between November and April, when
cold fronts bringing strong onshore winds can push the water
up against the beach.
While some rip currents are easy to see, others are difficult to
identify. Beware of water that appears to be brownish, murky,
and/or mushroom-like. Also watch for a break in the waves; a
channel of churning, choppy water; as well as a line of foam,
seaweed, or other debris that is moving away from shore.
In addition, don’t be fooled by what may appear to be calm,
inviting pools of water, especially if they are surrounded by waves.
What causes swimmers to be caught in an
undertow or a rip current? \
E.Z., Clearwater Beach