If you do get caught in a rip current, the best thing you can do is stay calm. It's not going to pull you underwater, it's just going to pull you away from shore. Call and wave for help. You want to float, and you don't want to swim back to shore against the rip current because it will just tire you out.

Do rip currents pull you underwater?

A rip current won't pull you underwater. It'll just pull you away from shore. If you feel that you're able to swim, do so parallel to the shore until you're out of the current and then swim back to shore at an angle. If you feel that you can't swim, tread or back float, try to wave and yell for help while floating.

How do you swim against a rip current?

Trying to swim against a rip current will only use up your energy; energy you need to survive and escape the rip current. Do NOT try to swim directly into to shore. Swim along the shoreline until you escape the current's pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.