If caught in a rip current, do not exhaust yourself swimming directly against it. Float, control your breathing and call or wave for help. If you can swim out of the current, move along the shoreline until free of its pull, then return toward shore at an angle away from it.
If someone is in trouble, alert a lifeguard and call 911. Do not rush into the water and become another casualty. The guidance below follows the National Weather Service’s survival advice.
What is a rip current?
A rip current, or corriente de resaca, is a channel of water flowing away from shore through the surf zone. “Riptide” is commonly used, but a rip current is not the same thing as a tide.
Rip currents carry swimmers away from shore rather than pulling them downward. That does not make them harmless: waves, exhaustion and inability to keep the airway clear can still lead to drowning. Floating conserves energy; it is not a guarantee that anyone can remain safe indefinitely.
If you are caught
- Stay as calm as possible and conserve energy. Do not fight the current by swimming straight back against it.
- Float and signal for help. Call out and wave toward shore when you can do so safely.
- If able, swim along the shoreline out of the current’s pull. Once free, swim toward shore at an angle away from the current.
- If you cannot escape or reach shore, keep floating and signalling. Avoid exhausting yourself through repeated unsuccessful attempts.
Conditions vary. Do not rely on a promise that the current will return you to the beach, end at a fixed distance, or release you within a few minutes.
Can you identify one from the beach?
The NWS describes possible clues: choppy or differently coloured water, foam or debris moving seaward, and gaps in the breaking-wave pattern. One, several or none of these clues may be visible.
A calm-looking gap can be hazardous, but not every gap is a confirmed rip current, and an apparently uniform surf line is not proof of safety. Ask an on-duty lifeguard about the designated swimming area. Do not treat an illustration or a few minutes of observation as an identification test.
Rip-current risk in Costa Rica
Both coasts require care. Research archived by Universidad Nacional documents the rip-current hazard in Costa Rica. Historical drowning totals should not be treated as today’s ranking of safe and unsafe beaches, and total water deaths are not the same as confirmed rip-current deaths.
The UNA beach geomorphology guide offers useful background on coastal characteristics. It is not a live swimming forecast. Conditions can change with waves, tides and the beach profile.
Before entering the water
- Choose a beach with lifeguards on duty and ask where swimming is permitted.
- Follow local flags, signs, closures and lifeguard instructions.
- Do not swim alone or after drinking alcohol.
- Supervise children closely and consider everyone’s actual swimming ability.
- If uncertain about conditions or available help, stay out.
Do not assume that a beach has active patrols simply because a tower is present or an old article mentions a lifeguard programme.
Helping someone from shore
Alert the lifeguard and call 911. Keep watching the person so you can indicate their location. From a safe position, provide something that floats if you can do so without entering danger. Shout to encourage floating and signalling.
Untrained rescue attempts can endanger both people. A flotation item does not turn an untrained swimmer into a rescuer. Follow the lifeguard’s or emergency operator’s instructions.
Reviewed September 6, 2026 using NWS safety guidance and UNA resources. This article does not replace on-site lifeguard instructions or swimming and water-safety training.
