Rip currents are dreaded by surf swimmers everywhere.The standard recommendation for swimmers is if you get caught in a rip current,swim parallel to the shore.Why?
A)It will carry you in the longshore current which will take you ashore.
B)The current is moving offshore but is confined,so by swimming parallel to shore you can swim out of the current.
C)This recommendation is wrong; you should swim toward the shore as fast as you can.
D)This recommendation is wrong; you should swim with the current and wait for it to die away,then swim to shore because the currents dissipate quickly.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Swimming parallel to the shore allows the swimmer to escape the rip current by moving out of its current while still moving closer to the shore. This is because rip currents are typically narrow and moving parallel to the shore with the strength of the current can help the swimmer exit it faster. Swimming towards the shore may be difficult and through the current, leading to exhaustion, and waiting for the current to die down is not recommended as rip currents can persist for hours.

Rip Currents Are Dreaded by Surf Swimmers Everywhere