Public perceptions of a rip current hazard education program: “Break the Grip of the Rip!”

Abstract

Abstract. Rip currents pose a major global beach hazard; estimates of annual rip-current-related deaths in the United States alone range from 35 to 100 per year. Despite increased social research into beach-goer experience, little is known about levels of rip current knowledge within the general population. This study describes the results of an online survey to determine the extent of rip current knowledge across the United States, with the aim of improving and enhancing existing beach safety education material. Results suggest that the US-based "Break the Grip of the Rip!" ® campaign has been successful in educating the public about rip current safety directly or indirectly, with the majority of respondents able to provide an accurate description of how to escape a rip current. However, the success of the campaign is limited by discrepancies between personal observations at the beach and rip forecasts that are broadcasted for a large area and time. It was the infrequent beach user that identified the largest discrepancies between the forecast and their observations. Since infrequent beach users also do not seek out lifeguards or take the same precautions as frequent beach users, it is argued that they are also at greatest risk of being caught in a dangerous situation. Results of this study suggest a need for the national campaign to provide greater focus on locally specific and verified rip forecasts and signage in coordination with lifeguards, but not at the expense of the successful national awareness program.

Estimations of rip current rescues and drowning in the United States

“…We therefore agree with Brighton et al (2013) that the collection of drowning data using consistent categories and the routine collection of rip current information will allow for more accurate global compar-isons. If beach lifeguard agencies worldwide used consistent reporting data points and reported on the primary cause, including rip currents, for all rescues, beach safety practitioners would be better able to determine the impact of the rip current hazard globally and develop public awareness and education strategies accordingly (Houser et al, 2017). This is certainly true of the surf beach reporting situation in the United States.…”

“…On beaches around the world characterized by wave breaking activity across surf zones (herein referred to as "surf beaches"), it is well established that the primary cause of rescues conducted by lifeguards, as well as fatal drownings, is rip currents (e.g., Klein et al, 2003;Gensini and Ashley, 2010a;Brighton et al, 2013;Brander and Scott, 2016). Rip currents are strong and concentrated flows of water moving away from the shoreline that are driven by alongshore variability in wave breaking and energy dissipation (Castelle et al, 2016).…”

“…There has been a significant and recent increase in research relating to both physical and social aspects associated with the rip current hazard (e.g., Hatfield et al, 2012;Brannstrom et al, 2014;McCarroll et al, 2014;Scott et al, 2014;Castelle et al, 2016b;Houser et al, 2017). However, an ongoing challenge in addressing the actual societal and economic impact of the rip current hazard for beach safety practitioners, governments, and scientists alike is obtaining accurate values of the number of rip-current-related lifeguard rescues and fatal rip current drownings.…”

“…Air and water temperature differences, as well as beach user demographics and beach usage, can also vary greatly among these regions, creating variable swimming seasons throughout the country The complex forcing mechanisms associated with rip current formation, type, and location both within and between these regions not only lead to exposure to the rip current hazard being extremely variable spatially and temporally, but also make it difficult and laborious to provide a gross estimate of the occurrence and location of rip currents on United States beaches at any given time. Similarly, although some coastal US National Weather Service (NWS) offices receive daily reports on rip current activity from lifeguards to assist in evaluating and disseminating their public rip current hazard advisory (Houser et al, 2017;Moulton et al, 2017), these reports do not typically include the specific type, location, or number of rip currents.…”

Machine Learning Analysis of Lifeguard Flag Decisions and Recorded Rescues

“…To be effective, the flag system requires lifeguards to continuously assess surf conditions and monitor swimmers and bathers, and ultimately intervene if someone does not heed the warning flag. Recent evidence suggests that many beach users do not adhere to warnings if their own experience (whether accurate or not) or behavior of others on the beach, contradicts the hazard, as indicated by the warning flag (Houser et al, 2017;Menard et al, 2018). Beachgoers may lose trust in authority (i.e.…”