The NSRI are appealing to World Cup visitors from abroad to exercise extreme caution around our coastline over the next few days as the full moon spring tide brings in the strongest rip-currents of the month.
The South African coastline experiences strong rip-currents throughout the year but today, and for the next few days, these rip-currents escalate in intensity with the spring tide. (Spring tides bring higher than normal high tide and lower than normal low tide and are experienced twice monthly during full moon and again at new moon).
Our main concern is that winter sea conditions bring naturally rough sea conditions to our coastline (from rough weather being experienced deep ocean), this coupled with the spring tide is expected to see intense rip-currents being experienced around our coastline and the influx of world cup overseas visitors and with SA’s current school holidays this is a recipe for disaster we want to avoid by issuing this early warning.
Another major concern are anglers who fish from rocks or islands that are easily accessible during a spring low tide but which are then engulfed by waves during the spring high tide often causing anglers to be swept off rocks or to be cut off from the mainland during the spring high tide.
The most dangerous bathing times are when high tide turns and heads out towards low tide. In some past incidents people wading in ankle deep water have been swept off their feet, swept out to sea, and drowned as a result of being caught in rip-currents.
The most dangerous bathing areas are near to river mouths or lagoon estuaries, wherever rocky outcrops, islands or reefs jut out into the sea, along areas where there are expansive stretches of uninterrupted beach and wherever man made structures jut out into the sea (harbour walls, jetties, land fills etc).
Most bathing beaches are protected by lifeguards and we urge bathers in these areas to only go to beaches where and when lifeguards are on duty. Swim only within the safe swimming demarcated zones posted by lifeguards using red and yellow flags. Obey the lifeguards instructions for safe bathing and expect the safe demarcated swimming zones to change regularly throughout the day as the strongest rip-currents change position regularly and lifeguards will move their safe swimming zones away from the worst of the rip-currents.
Where lifeguards are not in attendance bathers should exercise extreme caution and have a responsible person posted as observation while bathing.
Children should have responsible adult supervision around all water – coastal, inland and swimming pools.
If you are caught in a rip-current you will find you are suddenly being swept out to sea faster than you can swim towards shore! Don’t panic. Simply stay afloat by treading water – moving your arms and legs in circular movements and keeping your lungs filled with oxygen which increases your buoyancy. Stay afloat and, as tough as it sounds, let the current take you out to sea. Don’t try to swim against the current as this will only cause exhaustion which increases your chances of drowning. Wave one arm towards the shoreline while shouting for help – to alert people on the beach that you are in trouble and in need of help. As the current gets further out to sea its intensity will be reduced naturally and at your first opportunity swim parallel to the beach front until you are free of the rip-current and then use the incoming waves to gently swim back to shore.
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