A rip current (or just rip) is a specific type of water current that
can occur near beaches where waves break. A rip is a strong, localized, and
narrow current of water that moves directly away from the shore by cutting
through the lines of breaking waves, like a river flowing out to sea. The
force of the current in a rip is strongest and fastest next to the surface of
the water.
Rip currents can be hazardous to people in the water. Swimmers who are caught
in a rip current and who do not understand what is happening, or who may not
have the necessary water skills, may panic, or they may exhaust themselves by
trying to swim directly against the flow of water.