Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: Libloather

Unfortunately the riptide along long Beach may gave claimed another victim.
Nearly 72 years ago I was caught in the riptide off Long Beach. I know the fear, but I also know that it took me nearly half a mile along the shore before I was able to swim out of it.
You don’t swim against it, you swim with it on a diagonal to the shore.

Depending on he strength of the riptide, he may or may not ever be found.


8 posted on 05/03/2025 5:03:18 PM PDT by Doc91678 (Doc91678)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: Doc91678

I’ve read that you swim parallel to the shore. If you swim diagonally, you’re in it longer than you need to be.


10 posted on 05/03/2025 5:08:11 PM PDT by KevinB (I donโ€™t really care, Margaret.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]

To: Doc91678

You knew what you needed to do. Glad you made it.


11 posted on 05/03/2025 5:09:12 PM PDT by laplata (They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possible.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]

To: Doc91678

They don’t call them R.I.P tides for nothing!


17 posted on 05/03/2025 5:22:37 PM PDT by HerrBlucher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]

To: Doc91678

I was 12 when I got caught in the rip-tide. My father was waving for me to follow him as he walked along the shore. I swam parallel to the water until I no longer felt like I was fighting an unstoppable force. The waves started bringing me back in, but I was so exhausted that when I tried to stand up, the undertow would knock me down. I got rolled several times, swallowing water and getting it into my lungs.

My father swam out and brought me in.

Puking up beach water ranks among the top 10 nastiest things I experienced.

We weren’t down by Long Beach: this was Jones Beach in the 1970s.

I never told my mom. She was such a helicopter mom, she would have banned us from the beach.

After my husband and I got married, we would go to Kismet. Quiet, family friendly. Jones Beach had turned into a trash-filled mess populated by some of the rudest people.

We left NY in 1995. The only things I miss are the museums and the beach.


35 posted on 05/03/2025 7:34:48 PM PDT by TheWriterTX (๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธโœ๏ธ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]

To: Doc91678

Yep - they had some “milder” riptides along the beaches at Myrtle beach and we would sometimes get caught in them while body surfing when there was enough wave action to support it.
Sometimes you could catch a wave and ride through the riptide, but we averaged about three “rides” before moving a half mile or so away from where we started even if we didn’t get caught in one of the stronger streams.


45 posted on 05/04/2025 5:56:42 AM PDT by trebb (So many fools - so little time...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson