Hello and welcome to the Ocean Safety Page.  This is where you'll find information regarding ocean awareness and how
to avoid trouble out there and what to do if you do find yourself in a mess.  The number one rule to live by is: "Don't
panic."  

1.  Don't surf alone.  Why?  Well if you are out there by yourself and something happens to you; who's going to help  
you?  It's also nice  to have a friend hooting for you when you catch a nice wave.

2.   Know the break.  Are there obstacles in the water such as old pilings, rocks, reef, shipwrecks?  What kind of bottom
is it?  Sand, rock, reef?  How deep is it? Is there a drop-off?  What kind of currents run along the area?

3.  Rip current:  A rip current is strong narrow channel of water that flows from the surf-zone out to sea. It develops when
breaking waves push onshore, then gravity pulls the water back out to sea. If the water converges into a narrow river
like channel moving away from shore, a Rip Current forms. Rip Currents are sometimes mistakenly called an undertow.
However, a rip current will not pull you under the water surface. Rip currents can be 50 feet to 50 yards in width, and the
strength of the current can be up to 3 to 5 mph, which can carry even a strong swimmer into deeper water beyond the
sandbar. The development and persistence of a Rip Current requires a mass transport of water from WIND...WAVES
and/or SWELL. The swell or waves produce a greater than normal mass transport of water onto the beach, causing an
above normal volume of receding water, and the channel or Rip Current is formed.  

4.   What should you do if you are caught in a rip current? First, REMAIN CALM! Signal to someone on the beach, a
lifeguard or a friend, that you need help. If you are a strong swimmer, try to swim parallel to the beach until you are out
of the rip current. Then swim toward the shore. Never try to swim back to shore directly against the Rip current, as this
can exhaust and drown even the strongest swimmer. For the less confident swimmers, wade sideways parallel to the
beach until you are out of the rip's pull, then swim back to shore.

5.  Now for a word about one of our favorite topics; sharks.  Sharks have been around for several hundred million years.
 Man is basically their only predator.  As of 2003 only 10 unprovoked shark attacks have been recorded in North
Carolina.  These are usually cases of mistaken identity on the sharks part, referred to as "bump and bite." The shark
gives a quick nip, realizes the victim isn't it's typical meal, and swims away.  Nine out of ten of those incidents occurred
on male victims. We women seem to have the advantage here.  Sharks of the Carolina's waters range from six inches to
fifty feet in length.  Keep coming back for more shark bits.
Carolina Surf Adventures
        Home of the Surf 'n' Hike
Ocean Safety