Dangerous rip currents all week

Dangerous rip currents will be a threat throughout the week, forecasters say.

In a bulletin, the National Weather Service says that the combination of a persistent northeast wind and a building easterly swell is creating “increasingly more dangerous and hazardous conditions along the central and southern New Jersey shore.”

Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly from the shoreline. 

With the gusty northeasterly wind and onshore flow prevailing throughout much of the upcoming workweek, swimmers should expect treacherous swimming conditions. The ocean temperature is in the lower to middle 70s.

According to NOAA, here’s how to identify a rip current: 

A channel of churning, choppy water.
An area having a notable difference in water color.
A line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward.
A break in the incoming wave pattern.

If caught in a rip current, NOAA advises:

Stay calm.
Don’t fight the current.
Escape the current by swimming in a direction following the shoreline. When free of the current, swim at an angle—away from the current—toward shore.
If you are unable to escape by swimming, float or tread water. When the current weakens, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.
If at any time you feel you will be unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself: face the shore, call or wave for help.