French Tourist Drowns As Phuket Surf Danger Season Begins

[drthom10]

Why Rip Currents Form

As waves travel from deep to shallow water, they will break near the shoreline. When waves break strongly in some locations and weakly in others, this can cause circulation cells which are seen as rip currents: narrow, fast-moving belts of water traveling offshore.   (more info)

Why Rip Currents are Dangerous

Rip currents are the leading surf hazard for all beachgoers. They are particularly dangerous for weak or non-swimmers. Rip current speeds are typically 1-2 feet per second. However, speeds as high as 8 feet per second have been measured--this is faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint! Thus, rip currents can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.

 

Over 100 drownings due to rip currents occur every year in the United States. More than 80% of water rescues on surf beaches are due to rip currents.

Rip currents can occur at any surf beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes.

When Rip Currents Form

Rip currents can be found on many surf beaches every day. Under most tide and sea conditions the speeds are relatively slow. However, under certain wave, tide, and beach profile conditions the speeds can quickly increase to become dangerous to anyone entering the surf. The strength and speed of a rip current will likely increase as wave height and wave period increase. They are most likely to be dangerous during high surf conditions as the wave height and wave period increase.

Diagram courtesy of the NWS Southern Region Headquarters

Where Rip Currents Form

Rip currents most typically form at low spots or breaks in sandbars, and also near structures such as groins, jetties and piers. Rip currents can be very narrow or extend in widths to hundreds of yards. The seaward pull of rip currents varies: sometimes the rip current ends just beyond the line of breaking waves, but sometimes rip currents continue to push hundreds of yards offshore.

Diagram courtesy of the NWS Southern Region Headquarters

How to Identify Rip Currents

Look for any of these clues:

a channel of churning, choppy water

an area having a notable difference in water color

a line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward

a break in the incoming wave pattern

None, one, or more of the above clues may indicate the presence of rip currents. Rip currents are often not readily or easily identifiable to the average beachgoer. For your safety, be aware of this major surf zone hazard. Polarized sunglasses make it easier to see the rip current clues provided above.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility at Duck, NC.

How to Avoid and Survive Rip Currents

Learn how to swim!

Never swim alone.

Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out!

Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard protected beach.

Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards.

If caught in a rip current, remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.

Don’t fight the current. Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim towards shore.

If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.

If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself:  face the shore, wave your arms, and yell for help.

If you see someone in trouble, get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1 . Throw the rip current victim something that floats and yell instructions on how to escape. Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.

Rip Current Myth

A rip current is a horizontal current. Rip currents do not pull people under the water–-they pull people away from shore. Drowning deaths occur when people pulled offshore are unable to keep themselves afloat and swim to shore. This may be due to any combination of fear, panic, exhaustion, or lack of swimming skills.

In some regions rip currents are referred to by other, incorrect terms such as rip tides and undertow. We encourage exclusive use of the correct term – rip currents. Use of other terms may confuse people and negatively impact public education efforts.

Home, Awareness Week Resources, Overview, Forecasts/Outlooks, Safety Tips,

Signs/Brochures, Photos, Real Life Rip Current Stories, Questions/Answers,

Success Stories, Links, Glossary, Contact Us

NOAA, National Weather Service

Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services

1325 East West Highway

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Questions, Comments?

[drthom10]

FYi for those interested. I hope this article posts correctly as I'm forwarding the content using my phone.

I live down near Nai Harn and go swimming there on a regular basis. The lifeguards are young and look very fit and I wonder how well they can swim. I have never seen them train (swim or paddle the rescue board) but have seen them play a bit of beach football and splash about a bit on the board.

Does anyone know what training they have had in order to work as a life guard ?

Why Rip Currents Form

As waves travel from deep to shallow water, they will break near the shoreline. When waves break strongly in some locations and weakly in others, this can cause circulation cells which are seen as rip currents: narrow, fast-moving belts of water traveling offshore.   (more info)

Why Rip Currents are Dangerous

Rip currents are the leading surf hazard for all beachgoers. They are particularly dangerous for weak or non-swimmers. Rip current speeds are typically 1-2 feet per second. However, speeds as high as 8 feet per second have been measured--this is faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint! Thus, rip currents can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.

 

Over 100 drownings due to rip currents occur every year in the United States. More than 80% of water rescues on surf beaches are due to rip currents.

Rip currents can occur at any surf beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes.

When Rip Currents Form

Rip currents can be found on many surf beaches every day. Under most tide and sea conditions the speeds are relatively slow. However, under certain wave, tide, and beach profile conditions the speeds can quickly increase to become dangerous to anyone entering the surf. The strength and speed of a rip current will likely increase as wave height and wave period increase. They are most likely to be dangerous during high surf conditions as the wave height and wave period increase.

Diagram courtesy of the NWS Southern Region Headquarters

Where Rip Currents Form

Rip currents most typically form at low spots or breaks in sandbars, and also near structures such as groins, jetties and piers. Rip currents can be very narrow or extend in widths to hundreds of yards. The seaward pull of rip currents varies: sometimes the rip current ends just beyond the line of breaking waves, but sometimes rip currents continue to push hundreds of yards offshore.

Diagram courtesy of the NWS Southern Region Headquarters

How to Identify Rip Currents

Look for any of these clues:

a channel of churning, choppy water

an area having a notable difference in water color

a line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward

a break in the incoming wave pattern

None, one, or more of the above clues may indicate the presence of rip currents. Rip currents are often not readily or easily identifiable to the average beachgoer. For your safety, be aware of this major surf zone hazard. Polarized sunglasses make it easier to see the rip current clues provided above.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility at Duck, NC.

How to Avoid and Survive Rip Currents

Learn how to swim!

Never swim alone.

Be cautious at all times, especially when swimming at unguarded beaches. If in doubt, don’t go out!

Whenever possible, swim at a lifeguard protected beach.

Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards.

If caught in a rip current, remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.

Don’t fight the current. Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim towards shore.

If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.

If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself:  face the shore, wave your arms, and yell for help.

If you see someone in trouble, get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1 . Throw the rip current victim something that floats and yell instructions on how to escape. Remember, many people drown while trying to save someone else from a rip current.

Rip Current Myth

A rip current is a horizontal current. Rip currents do not pull people under the water–-they pull people away from shore. Drowning deaths occur when people pulled offshore are unable to keep themselves afloat and swim to shore. This may be due to any combination of fear, panic, exhaustion, or lack of swimming skills.

In some regions rip currents are referred to by other, incorrect terms such as rip tides and undertow. We encourage exclusive use of the correct term – rip currents. Use of other terms may confuse people and negatively impact public education efforts.

Home, Awareness Week Resources, Overview, Forecasts/Outlooks, Safety Tips,

Signs/Brochures, Photos, Real Life Rip Current Stories, Questions/Answers,

Success Stories, Links, Glossary, Contact Us

NOAA, National Weather Service

Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services

1325 East West Highway

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Questions, Comments?

[drthom10]

http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/overview.shtml

Website for the above article

[HongKongPhooey]

Phuket is advertised as worlds best destination place, and all that blah blah blah.

And all we get there is hundreds of touts, con-artists and criminals living of stupid tourists who pay the price.

and in exchange for that Phuket city which takes millions of dollars every year form tourists cannot even provide lifeguards...

DO NOT GO TO PHUKET> perhaps if people stop going there, something will change

I'm trying not to break Forum rules and out-and-out bagging here, but sometimes I think the posters (like this guy), need to wake up and look out their own window. Where are you stokakrishna, you sure you wouldn't rather be here on a sunny beach than where you are now?

You've been to Patong, what, once or twice and consider that having come to Phuket? uh-huh..............

I get in trouble for responding to posters like this regularly.

They are pointless, off topic and the scurge of a local forum IMO.

If you hate Phuket how can you possibly be a beneficial member of a Thai forum??

[NamKangMan]

Phuket is advertised as worlds best destination place, and all that blah blah blah.

And all we get there is hundreds of touts, con-artists and criminals living of stupid tourists who pay the price.

and in exchange for that Phuket city which takes millions of dollars every year form tourists cannot even provide lifeguards...

DO NOT GO TO PHUKET> perhaps if people stop going there, something will change

I'm trying not to break Forum rules and out-and-out bagging here, but sometimes I think the posters (like this guy), need to wake up and look out their own window. Where are you stokakrishna, you sure you wouldn't rather be here on a sunny beach than where you are now?

You've been to Patong, what, once or twice and consider that having come to Phuket? uh-huh..............

I get in trouble for responding to posters like this regularly.

They are pointless, off topic and the scurge of a local forum IMO.

If you hate Phuket how can you possibly be a beneficial member of a Thai forum??

"If you hate Phuket how can you possibly be a beneficial member of a Thai forum??"

Many people like Thailand, but dislike Phuket.

Don't you mean "how can you possibly be a beneficial member of a Phuket forum" not "a Thai forum?"

[HongKongPhooey]

"If you hate Phuket how can you possibly be a beneficial member of a Thai forum??"

Many people like Thailand, but dislike Phuket.

Don't you mean "how can you possibly be a beneficial member of a Phuket forum" not "a Thai forum?"

Obviously.

[blackthorn2005]

Well, Mr F, if you go to the beach, you'll see that there's a sign explaining the different flags and their colors and what they mean.

Then you'll notice that there's no flags flying.

So, some would assume that it's OK to go in.

Those are possibly tourists who don't know any different, or maybe some locals who see so many other people swimming.

So, they go in.

How many have to drown before they let the lifeguards work.

Too many for sure.

Tourists on holiday are immune from all the dangers, no matter what signs/flags are up, or what you tell them.

[TaoNow]

"Tourists on holiday are immune from all the dangers, no matter what signs/flags are up, or what you tell them."

And, possibly because some have been drinking before going into the water on West coast beaches during the monsoon season.

I swam at Kata Noi weekly throughout May-October for the past three years. Most days were swimable for the competent.

Treacherous days were fairly easy to identify. If you stand in the water up to your knees and have trouble keeping your balance, you'd better be a good swimmer, sober, and wear fins before going deeper.

I realize conditions on Karon are more dangerous than Kata and Kata Noi.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>I swam at Kata Noi weekly throughout May-October for the past three years. Most days were swimable for the competent.

Treacherous days were fairly easy to identify. If you stand in the water up to your knees and have trouble keeping your balance, you'd better be a good swimmer, sober, and wear fins before going deeper.

<snip>

That's exactly the problem. People consider they are 'competent' swimmers, but have no idea of the real dangers or there own capabilities.

[richard_smith237]

<snip>I swam at Kata Noi weekly throughout May-October for the past three years. Most days were swimable for the competent.

Treacherous days were fairly easy to identify. If you stand in the water up to your knees and have trouble keeping your balance, you'd better be a good swimmer, sober, and wear fins before going deeper.

<snip>

That's exactly the problem. People consider they are 'competent' swimmers, but have no idea of the real dangers or there own capabilities.

I'd agree with that. Before I went to Uni I used to be an excellent swimmer (trained 8 times a week and competed). Its easy to forget that I can no longer swim to the same standard, I'm not as fit and I wouldn't last in treacherous conditions.

It would be easy for anyone to forget they are not the spritely youthful athlete they once might have been, combine this, poor conditions and the invincibility of a few beers and trouble is not too far away...

[Jimi007]

Sorry to say but I think the lifeguards around Phuket are a bit of a joke. As others have mentioned, they sit and chat or eat and no one watches the water. I have contacted the Lifesaving club and offered to help set up free training with the International Surf Lifesaving Association. No response. So it seems as though they are just a "club" that doesn't want to measure up to international standards and certification. Sadly there will probably be the same amount of drownings with these lifeguards as without, as they provide a false sense of security... Just look at the last few years drowning stats. 53 drowned in 2009, 37 in 2010. I can't find the 2011 figure, but I remember they were comparing it to road deaths at one point.

[stevenl]

Sorry to say but I think the lifeguards around Phuket are a bit of a joke. As others have mentioned, they sit and chat or eat and no one watches the water. I have contacted the Lifesaving club and offered to help set up free training with the International Surf Lifesaving Association. No response. So it seems as though they are just a "club" that doesn't want to measure up to international standards and certification. Sadly there will probably be the same amount of drownings with these lifeguards as without, as they provide a false sense of security... Just look at the last few years drowning stats. 53 drowned in 2009, 37 in 2010. I can't find the 2011 figure, but I remember they were comparing it to road deaths at one point.

Stats don't mean anything if you don't have a comparison. Secondly, the lifeguard services have been taken over by a different company in I think May 2011, so stats from 2009 and 2010 are in this case meaningless, unless comparing with 2011.

[Jimi007]

Sorry to say but I think the lifeguards around Phuket are a bit of a joke. As others have mentioned, they sit and chat or eat and no one watches the water. I have contacted the Lifesaving club and offered to help set up free training with the International Surf Lifesaving Association. No response. So it seems as though they are just a "club" that doesn't want to measure up to international standards and certification. Sadly there will probably be the same amount of drownings with these lifeguards as without, as they provide a false sense of security... Just look at the last few years drowning stats. 53 drowned in 2009, 37 in 2010. I can't find the 2011 figure, but I remember they were comparing it to road deaths at one point.

Stats don't mean anything if you don't have a comparison. Secondly, the lifeguard services have been taken over by a different company in I think May 2011, so stats from 2009 and 2010 are in this case meaningless, unless comparing with 2011.

Oh come on Stevenl. If you think the lifeguard service has improved over the years I would disagree. And if you think that 37 or 53 people drowning a year on beaches that are supposedly patrolled is a good stat, I would say you're wrong. There were 40 deaths by drowning in 2011 by the way... Source is not to be mentioned here due to forum rule number 31.

[stevenl]

Oh come on Stevenl. If you think the lifeguard service has improved over the years I would disagree. And if you think that 37 or 53 people drowning a year on beaches that are supposedly patrolled is a good stat, I would say you're wrong. There were 40 deaths by drowning in 2011 by the way... Source is not to be mentioned here due to forum rule number 31.

Where do I say it is a good stat? I have no idea about comparable stats, so can't say anything about that.

All I'm saying is:

1) stats with comparison don't mean anything;

2) the lifeguard company has changed in I think 2011, so any stats from 2009 and 2010 don't say anything about their operation.

[Jimi007]

Oh come on Stevenl. If you think the lifeguard service has improved over the years I would disagree. And if you think that 37 or 53 people drowning a year on beaches that are supposedly patrolled is a good stat, I would say you're wrong. There were 40 deaths by drowning in 2011 by the way... Source is not to be mentioned here due to forum rule number 31.

Where do I say it is a good stat? I have no idea about comparable stats, so can't say anything about that.

All I'm saying is:

1) stats with comparison don't mean anything;

2) the lifeguard company has changed in I think 2011, so any stats from 2009 and 2010 don't say anything about their operation.

Hum, where did you find that the lifesaving club has changed? And since 2011 had more drownings than 2010, even if it did change it isn't any better! More people died... They still haven't accepted training or certification from the ISLA either...

[steelepulse]

As a side note, a friend was at Karon yesterday and two people were pulled out. I don't know the status though.

[NomadJoe]

Sorry to say but I think the lifeguards around Phuket are a bit of a joke. ... As others have mentioned, they sit and chat or eat and no one watches the water.

A joke perhaps, but I will say I have seen plenty of days where the guards are out working hard with whistle going non-stop directing people out of dangerous areas. I have seen them race into the water on many occasions. They even came and yelled at my gf and I who, in my opinion, were at in a safe location. I once saw an intense argument between guards and a Russian man who was taking a toddler out way to far in the water. Any idiot could see he was being an idiot. I have to hand it to the guards, they stood their ground until the guy moved into shallower water. And lets not forget that one died last year attempting a rescue. Unfortunately incidents of them sitting around lazily, renting jet ski's, or out using the yellow rescue surf board for surfing are just as common. There doesn't seem to be any supervision and the individual guards work ethics determine their activity level.

I have contacted the Lifesaving club and offered to help set up free training with the International Surf Lifesaving Association. No response. So it seems as though they are just a "club" that doesn't want to measure up to international standards and certification.

When was this Jimi? Was it the old club or the new? As I mentioned elsewhere, I also tried to offer some free training but was told they weren't interested, but that was a few years ago when the farang woman was still involved. Not sure, but I think she used to run the previous club then all her staff reorganized and formed their own club. More below. I know she used to coordinate the lifesaving carnival in Patong where Austrailian guards participated in training and competitions with Phuket guards.

Secondly, the lifeguard services have been taken over by a different company in I think May 2011, so stats from 2009 and 2010 are in this case meaningless, unless comparing with 2011.

Hum, where did you find that the lifesaving club has changed? ... They still haven't accepted training or certification from the ISLA either...

According to an article I read recently which I think was at PW, the people providing the services now are almost entirely the same people form the old club, only the name changed. Just the top person or top people running the club have changed. The article didn't say, but I believe the farang woman that was involved in some way with the club previously, I may have read years ago that she was the founder of it, appears to have been removed from the club as recent reports made it clear that it is 100% Thai run now. Going to search some articles to see if I can find out more of the story.

Edited May 23, 2012 by NomadJoe

[NomadJoe]

Here is an interesting quote: "“Last year was tough. We’re exhausted and some of us want to take a rest. I think it would be fair if the OrBorJor opened the bidding process to others. But if they can’t find anyone to carry on the service, we will do it." - Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut “Nut” Chuayuan

An attempt to increase his bargaining position? Since his club is the only one that's the only way this makes any since.

Whatya think Jimi, a business opportunity?

[NomadJoe]

I didn't realize they have a website. www.phuketlifeguard.com

[Jimi007]

I didn't realize they have a website. www.phuketlifeguard.com

Their website is how I tried to contact them last low season. I think it was around August. My nephew is a Junior Lifeguard Instructor in Huntington Beach California and volunteers with the International Surf Lifesaving Association. He has gone to New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, The Dominican Republic and other countries doing training and certification courses. He wanted to come to Phuket after I told him how many drownings there were here every year. So I wrote an email to the contact us on their site twice with no response... Here is ISLA's website: www.islasurf.org/