These currents, which are generally common on the Black Sea coasts and are known to cause 304 deaths in 10 years, have the power and danger that can turn your pleasant moments into nightmares.
So what is a rip current, and if we get caught up in it, how can we escape?
The rip current is called the “Black Sea’s quirk” on the warning signs on the coasts.
This formation is generally seen in regions where the sea bottom structure is in the form of heel-dalyan-toe, in other words, sand dune-crevice-sand dune, and it occurs due to the backward movement of waves breaking on the heels, especially in windy weather.
In this way, it carries those caught in the current away from the shore and towards the open. Drowning cases caused by rip currents occur as a result of people who realize that they are being dragged into the open, struggling to return to the shore with fear and panic, and being tired and unable to keep themselves on the water.
These currents have a force that professional swimmers and sometimes even lifeguards cannot resist.
The bottom structure, wave heights and the size of the sand grains are highly determinant in the emergence of rip currents, and such cases are especially common on the Black Sea coasts.
For this reason, it is quite possible to encounter rip currents on all beaches along the Black Sea coast, starting from Karaburun (Arnavutköy) to Şile. In addition to the Black Sea, the beaches of Istanbul facing the Black Sea coast also face this danger.
Rip currents can be expressed as strong currents that occur from the sea to the open, perpendicular to the shore.
When the water carried by the waves to the shore hits the shore, it wants to go back to the sea again. Water returning to the sea through deeper channels also creates a rip current. These currents can behave in different ways and flow in different directions.
For example, sometimes they form towards the open sea, and sometimes they can flow into the sea at certain angles. In addition, currents can sometimes return to the shore. The speed of these currents varies between 0.3 meters per second (m/s) and 1.5 meters per second.
So how can we detect these formations?
Deep and dark areas, gently undulating surfaces surrounded by shallow water, areas where waves break less, objects drifting off the waves, and turbid or sandy areas are the most common signs of rip currents. Especially if the color of the water in a part of the coast has changed and it has become quite cloudy, according to experts, this is 90% pulling current.
This current removed the sand and mud at the bottom and started to carry it outward. In other words, the color of the water changes because of this. However, sometimes it is not possible to encounter all of these symptoms and one or two of them may attract attention. For this reason, it is useful to make the necessary checks before entering the sea.
If we get caught in the current, how can we escape?
Fluttering movements to meet rip currents with panic and swim faster do more harm than good. The first thing to do at this time is not to resist, but to go calmly with the current and try to stay on the water.
Depending on the strength of the current, it can cause you to drift about 40-50 meters away. When he shows weakness, it would be wrong to try to go back. Swimming to the right or left and out of range of the current is the right move.
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