Rip Currents Oceanside CA

The lifeguards were on alert this evening when I arrived at 6 PM at the beach at Surfrider Way, a couple of hundred yards north of the pier. There were red flags with "rip current" signs along the beach. I studied the water thinking about which direction to swim. The muddy, dirty area at Surfrider often has rips, and there is a lifeguard station there. The rip current is a strong flow or current of water north or south. The rip tide is due to a low sand area under the water where water from breaking waves on the beach finds a low spot and follows it out to sea again. It can pull you out to sea. The rip tide can be seen by observing the water for a dstinctly different surface appearance-an uneven, bubbly, muddy patch of water perpendicular to the shore.

Saturday evening the wind was blowing south, the surface of the water was moving south, and I decided to swim that way. The first hundred yards or so out from Surfrider was rough heading out because of the north current but as I got out to the distance at the end of the pier there was a gentle south current that helped me swim along southward. Then, swimming in was rough again; I didn't feel a rip current but I felt that I had to swim hard to pull myself in.

The tide was low. Perhaps there was a tide shifting slightly. Who knows. The ocean is a mystery-powerful and ever-changing. I looked at a couple of sailboats moving north and they both had their front sails down; I think it was because they were heading into the wind.

It was warm, 71 degree water, but lousy visibility. Stirred up all the way. Silty. I'm improving and had the energy to run back along the beach to where I started from. A tough, good swim evening.