rip current do's and don'ts

[williehookem]

We'll be fishing the ocean soon, I had a few close calls last year. Some other guy here said his friend was wading in the back and drowned. I think the front is a lot more dangerous. I like to fish some inlets and wade out on low tide because they hold fish. So far I have been lucky. What I do is learn an inlet by having waded near the rocks at low tide, and know where the deeper water is by marking it on a point of land in my head, and remembering that. What do some of you guys do or recommend for fishing rip currents at a point or inlet currents?

[cowherder]

You're either brave or crazy, willie! I like to fish the inlets I can walk out on the rocks to, too scared to wade them. As for rip currents, I fish them with plugs, from the safety of the shore. That may sound like sissy fishing, but I don't want to get carried away to England.

[bluesdude71]

Rip currents can sweep you away in a moment's notice. They can also be very good for bass fishing. Remember that they are stronger during a full moon. Wading in them? Maybe near slack tide would be ok.

[storminsteve]

I think it's a good idea to know the water depths as well. When I am wading, I slowly put one foot in front of me sideways as I get near where I think a channel might be. As I start to feel the slope I adjust my balance. I can think of better challenges than swimming in heavy current.

[jonthepain]

[katiefishes]

Incredible catch jon. I would have thought that the water would be too cold for the dog.

[jonthepain]

sorry that's not me, that's an acquaintance of mine who goes by the name of seapuppy.

he's kind of nuts, and a legend around portsmouth island. he boats to sandbars, jumps out, catches drum, and his dog retrieves them.

the water's not as cold as it looks. i'm sure his springer loves it.

he writes awesome fishing stories. i'll see if i can find one for y'all.

[paumanok]

jonthepain--

Your acquaintance is quite the daring guy.

I can relate--wading to my armpits was a matter of course for me, whatever the water.

I fished that way one time out with my sister and brother-in-law. I was having a blast. When I finally started to trudge back in, I noticed neither of them was fishing, they were just standing there like two deer in headlights. Neither was impressed with my antics.

A couple of weeks later, my brother-in-law called to tell me that a friend of his had drowned in waters not three miles from where we had been fishing.

I fly fish and wear a stripping basket. My new rule of thumb: when the water hits the bottom of the basket, I've gone far enough. No fish is worth more.

[mick2360]

jonthepain--

Your acquaintance is quite the daring guy.

I can relate--wading to my armpits was a matter of course for me, whatever the water.

I fished that way one time out with my sister and brother-in-law. I was having a blast. When I finally started to trudge back in, I noticed neither of them was fishing, they were just standing there like two deer in headlights. Neither was impressed with my antics.

A couple of weeks later, my brother-in-law called to tell me that a friend of his had drowned in waters not three miles from where we had been fishing.

I fly fish and wear a stripping basket. My new rule of thumb: when the water hits the bottom of the basket, I've gone far enough. No fish is worth more.

The bride just read this post. Her response: "Good, he needed to be more careful anyway. Currents change (her words) and anything could happen".
If you change your mind about the PFD, let me know. I hear there may be some extra storage spaces for cigars.

[paumanok]

There are exceptions to every rule.

Twice, since then, I've had to swim back to shore with my waders full of water.

So, rule #2. I will allow two exception to rule #1 every season.

[paumanok]

williehookem--

Your post was back on the 14th, but I hope you get back to this: fishing rips and currents is a dangerous business. We all have to be mindful of how we fish them.

I always tended to (and unfortunately, on occasion, still do) take one more step than was reasonable.

Up on Menemsha, one evening last spring, I was fly fishing an inside point of the outlet.

A fellow by the name of Wilson Kerr was teaching me how to finesse an incoming seam. I took my usual one-more-step into the current so I could extend my cast a bit, get a better angle. I wasn't more than knee deep.

I felt a hand grasp hard on my shoulder. Wilson was pulling me back out of the current: "What are you doing?! You take that kind of risk, for what? Two extra feet? Get back here!"

I think that speaks for itself.

We fish with passion. That's the nature of this game. We can't fish scared.

But we have to fish, hopefully more often than not, with a least a modicum of common sense: if it feels unsafe, it probably is.

[nitestrikes]

We fish with passion. That's the nature of this game. We can't fish scared.

But we have to fish, hopefully more often than not, with a least a modicum of common sense: if it feels unsafe, it probably is.

Good point, before the year is up you will hear about another guy who waded out too far and got caught in the rip current to drown. Pay attention to the moon cycle, full or new means the currents are stronger.

[CharlieTuna]

Or---
make sure you know your area by having fished it in the daytime. Then it will be less risky if you go there at night.

[albiealert]

We fish with passion. That's the nature of this game. We can't fish scared.

But we have to fish, hopefully more often than not, with a least a modicum of common sense: if it feels unsafe, it probably is.

Good point paumanok. I fish mostly around the mouths and banks of rivers that flow into the Sound. The currents can be quite strong at times.

[fishinmission78]

There are exceptions to every rule.

Twice, since then, I've had to swim back to shore with my waders full of water.

So, rule #2. I will allow two exception to rule #1 every season.

Water-filled waders, never a good feeling. Another thing to remember if you get fall into a rip and get pulled out is they don't last forever. Don't panic. try to swim to the outside of the current line to where it isn't so strong. Panic dooms more people than anything else.

[albiealert]

There is a place in Connecticut I have been to called Pennington reef. It holds some fish at the right time of year and the right tide. Unfortunately the only way to fish it is to fish the last of the outgoing. The tide gets high quickly and the current can be very strong. A few guys have been washed off, it's not the safest place in the world if you are not paying attention.

A place like that, you have to have a plan. And make sure you clearly read the tide tables to understand when the tide starts coming back in you must get the heck out of there.

[DarkSkies]

This is a response to the person who lost their life in Asbury Park tonight as they got dragged down by the strong rip current.

The jetties there have similar characteristics to other jetties in the area in that some of them are notched. This allows the water to come in parallel to the beach, and swirl around in a vortex sometimes.

Tonight, coming off a full moon, the current was probably stronger than usual.

I'm not trying to assess blame here. People who are in the water a lot, fishing, swimming, surfing, skishing, should know about rip currents because their safety depends on their knowledge.

However, there are people who visit the surf only a few times a year. Even in a river, strong tidal currents can carry you to your death, as in the case earlier this year of the guy who drowned on the back side of Sandy Hook.

If you know anyone who could stand to learn more about these currents, please send this thread, or C&P it to them. Feel free to add whatever info you want or find out there.

I don't expect to save the world with this thread. If...one more person becomes more safety conscious when dealing with rip currents because of it, then it will have been worth it.

Remember that any of your family members can be taken from you in an instant if they got caught up in these currents. Thanks for reading.

[DarkSkies]

WHAT TO DO: If caught in a rip current, either let it carry you to its end before swimming, or swim parallel to shore until it releases you. Try to alert someone on shore that you are in trouble.

DO: Throw flotation devices to someone caught in a rip current.
DO: Call 911 or alert a lifeguard for help

NOT TO DO: Do not fight a rip current. You can exhaust yourself and drown.

DO NOT: Enter the water in an attempt to rescue someone caught in a rip current; instead call for help.

The rest of the article tells of a mother who lost her son to the ocean, and started a foundation to raise awareness:
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/feb/...safeguards-at/

[DarkSkies]

Some videos:

[nitestrikes]

http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/tips.shtml





Rip Current Safety Tips


Learn how to swim!

When at the beach:

• Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard-protected beach.
• Never swim alone.
• Learn how to swim in the surf. It's not the same as swimming in a pool or lake.
• Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out.
• Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards. Lifeguards are trained to identify potential hazards. Ask a lifeguard about the conditions before entering the water. This is part of their job.
• Stay at least 100 feet away from piers and jetties. Permanent rip currents often exist along side these structures.
• Consider using polarized sunglasses when at the beach. They will help you to spot signatures of rip currents by cutting down glare and reflected sunlight off the ocean’s surface.
• Pay especially close attention to children and elderly when at the beach. Even in shallow water, wave action can cause loss of footing.

If caught in a rip current:

• Remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.
• Never fight against the current.
• Think of it like a treadmill that cannot be turned off, which you need to step to the side of.
• Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim at an angle--away from the current--towards shore.
• If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.
• If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving your arm and yelling for help.

If you see someone in trouble, don't become a victim too:

• Get help from a lifeguard.
• If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1.
• Throw the rip current victim something that floats--a lifejacket, a cooler, an inflatable ball.
• Yell instructions on how to escape.
• Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.