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leucadia
surf school |
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BEFORE
YOU ENTER THE SURF |
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Be
Aware and take notice.... |
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Rips
and Currents |
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| A rip is a body of water that
is pulling away from the beach and back out into the ocean. A wave breaks and washes into shore, the water contained in the wave must move back out to sea. This happens by a channel being formed and the water flowing into it to create a current that is strong enough to pull out through the incoming waves. |
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As a beginner surfer what you
need to know is that the rip only goes out as far as the back breaking
waves. It will not drag you for miles and miles out to sea, if you
find yourself in a rip you should go with it and then simply paddle
to the side and catch a wave back in. Do not panic, be aware of
what is happening, stay on your surfboard and keep an eye on the
breaking waves which may become bigger as you go further out. |
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| Rips are identifiable by a number of ways: | |
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| You may see surfers entering the surf directly into a rip, an experienced surfer who wishes to surf the back breaking waves can use the rip to be pulled out. It is the quickest and easist way to get out into the line-up. Remember, you are a beginner, until your confidence and surf awareness skill increases, conditions closer to the beach will most likely be more suited to your ability level, you should stay within your limits and avoid rips but look forward to their assistance as you improve. | |
 Currents
run parrallel with the beach, they can be quite strong and can drag
you some distance if you are not aware of them. Before entering the
surf identify a marker on the beach and take notice of how far away
from that marker you have moved during your surf. |
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| City of Encinitas License #17029 |
City of Oceanside License #103444 |