Is it safe to swim when the tide is coming in?

Depth change

This means that at high tide, when the water covers the steep beach, you are quickly out of your depth. For experienced swimmers this isn't a problem, but for those less confident or people with young kids, it is safer to swim at low tide when the water stays shallower.

Which tide is dangerous?

Rip tide is a misnomer

Heavy breaking waves can trigger a sudden rip current, but rip currents are most hazardous around low tide, when water is already pulling away from the beach. In the past, rip currents were sometimes called rip tides, which was a mistake, Carey said.