Undertow – keep safe at the beach this summer

[Janet]

I post all too often about deaths in the seas around Tenerife, and one reason for these, apart from cold water shock, is that often beaches here are subject to undertow. One particular case in point is Callao Salvaje, which has a steep shelf and a constant drag that means one can hear the suction as bathers try to get out of the water even only at knee-depth. Callao Salvaje is not unique, though it is unusual, but most often undertow is the result of a combination of tidal and topographical factors. It is a serious risk, and it is important to recognize the signs, and to know how to get out of trouble if one gets caught unawares.

Proteccion Civil in Baja California have released the above picture which perfectly illustrates what an undertow can look like. Note the gap between the white crests of the waves where the current is drawn down and back out to sea even as the wave itself is heading into the coast. Sometimes they're not visible, though, and then anyone caught in one is at risk – most particularly at risk of drowning through exhaustion by swimming against the tide. This is wrong, say lifeguards. Don't try to swim back to shore as you're being swept out to sea. Rather, turn 90º and swim parallel to the coastline.

Most regular swimmers will never overcome a strong undertow by swimming headlong at it, but most undertow currents are usually no more than 10 metres wide. Swimming at right angles to them, therefore, and along the coast rather than towards the coast, means that within minutes you will be out of the undertow's stream, albeit further out to sea. You will then be able to swim back towards the beach with the help of the normal waves.

Keep aware, and stay safe at the beach this summer!

JA