Phuket Beach Safety: Russian man drowns in 5 minutes

[grumpyoldman]

Can some of the locals post a photo of whats called a large wave in Phuket please? Because I have not seen any . If I had my duck feet with me I would make a trip down there.

What you have here is very inexperienced tourists in a strong afternoon rip. I use the term to include all outbound and side ways water movement (not just the texbook rip diagram )

With the wave/swell direction from the South going into the Phuket bays at an even a slight angle , the water is then forced back out at the Northern part of the bay. Even an experienced swimmer/body surfer with fins might choose to just ride it out.

O.K., well, looking at your nic I can see Central California roots.

So, I'll put this in American measurements MB.

Yesterday at Kata, solid 5ft faces with some sets getting in 8ft range.

Your very last sentence way off the mark, doesn't work at all like that here. Really, what gets these tourists is the changing sand bottom and undertow. I was goofing around bodysurfing a few days ago, and the dugouts created by a set of waves, the following waves had serious whirlpool phenomenon which held me down, I toyed with, but could be quite terrifying for the inexperienced.

Panic does people in.

[Secondmouse]

RIP to the Russian man.

Very sad indeed.

I constantly remind the lifeguards at Nai Harn it can only take 1 or 2 minutes for someone to get in serious trouble. They have been doing a very good job of keeping people out of the water when it's obviously dangerous.

Yes indeed, very sad,......RIP

(It's re-assuring and good to know that you're around and constantly reminding the lifeguards on how to do their job...)

[Secondmouse]

Can some of the locals post a photo of whats called a large wave in Phuket please? Because I have not seen any . If I had my duck feet with me I would make a trip down there.

What you have here is very inexperienced tourists in a strong afternoon rip. I use the term to include all outbound and side ways water movement (not just the texbook rip diagram )

With the wave/swell direction from the South going into the Phuket bays at an even a slight angle , the water is then forced back out at the Northern part of the bay. Even an experienced swimmer/body surfer with fins might choose to just ride it out.

You're right about rips,....all people, well ALL beach-going people, should have rips explained to them....if they were taught to recognise when they were in a rip and stopped wasting their energy trying to swim back to shore against it..(and this is where the majority drown, through sheer exhaustion of getting nowhere....) and just let the rip take you a little way out, swim parallel to the shore (with minimal rip resistance), you'll have a far greater chance of being able to swim back to shore...., but if the rip is still apparent, you are at least conserving valuable energy to be able to tread water until the lifeguards can get to you.....unfortunately, the beach and the ocean are not everyday environs for most visitors hence the need for better education of what could and does happen and some preventative measures that can be taken...

[morrobay]

Can some of the locals post a photo of whats called a large wave in Phuket please? Because I have not seen any . If I had my duck feet with me I would make a trip down there.

What you have here is very inexperienced tourists in a strong afternoon rip. I use the term to include all outbound and side ways water movement (not just the texbook rip diagram )

With the wave/swell direction from the South going into the Phuket bays at an even a slight angle , the water is then forced back out at the Northern part of the bay. Even an experienced swimmer/body surfer with fins might choose to just ride it out.

You were very correct until you mentioned 'waves/swell from the South'.

Im assuming with the S.W. moonsoon it would be a South swell. If it is a straight West and the bays are facing slightly South then there would be outbound current at North point , the same effect.

Edited July 25, 2013 by morrobay

[stevenl]

Can some of the locals post a photo of whats called a large wave in Phuket please? Because I have not seen any . If I had my duck feet with me I would make a trip down there.

What you have here is very inexperienced tourists in a strong afternoon rip. I use the term to include all outbound and side ways water movement (not just the texbook rip diagram )

With the wave/swell direction from the South going into the Phuket bays at an even a slight angle , the water is then forced back out at the Northern part of the bay. Even an experienced swimmer/body surfer with fins might choose to just ride it out.

You were very correct until you mentioned 'waves/swell from the South'.

Im assuming with the S.W. moonsoon it would be a South swell. If it is a straight West and the bays are facing slightly South then there would be outbound current at North point , the same effect.

West swell and west beaches/bays, so also west outbound.

[morrobay]

Can some of the locals post a photo of whats called a large wave in Phuket please? Because I have not seen any . If I had my duck feet with me I would make a trip down there.

What you have here is very inexperienced tourists in a strong afternoon rip. I use the term to include all outbound and side ways water movement (not just the texbook rip diagram )

With the wave/swell direction from the South going into the Phuket bays at an even a slight angle , the water is then forced back out at the Northern part of the bay. Even an experienced swimmer/body surfer with fins might choose to just ride it out.

O.K., well, looking at your nic I can see Central California roots.

So, I'll put this in American measurements MB.

Yesterday at Kata, solid 5ft faces with some sets getting in 8ft range.

Your very last sentence way off the mark, doesn't work at all like that here. Really, what gets these tourists is the changing sand bottom and undertow. I was goofing around bodysurfing a few days ago, and the dugouts created by a set of waves, the following waves had serious whirlpool phenomenon which held me down, I toyed with, but could be quite terrifying for the inexperienced.

Panic does people in.

That whirlpool phenomenon reminds me of what happened swimming across the River Kwai in Kanchanaburi w/o fins. There were also downward currents created by irregular bottom. But unusual for ocean in my experience. I would guess that the sand in Phuket is lightweight and not very packed in order for it to be dugout with one set. Coral sand ?

Edited July 25, 2013 by morrobay

[Sydneycraig]

Kata has red string across the beach along with plenty of signs and red flags. Lifeguards are also trying to tell people not to swim in the red flag area. The red and yellow flagged area was pretty much empty whilst the rest had plenty of people in the water ... Not sure they can make it more obvious?!

[grumpyoldman]

RIP to the Russian man.

Very sad indeed.

I constantly remind the lifeguards at Nai Harn it can only take 1 or 2 minutes for someone to get in serious trouble. They have been doing a very good job of keeping people out of the water when it's obviously dangerous.

Yes indeed, very sad,......RIP

(It's re-assuring and good to know that you're around and constantly reminding the lifeguards on how to do their job...)

Comment in parentheses could not be farther off the mark. In just idle conversation with them I comment how quickly an emergency can develop. They know this and "reminding them how to do their job" (???!!!). No, not at all.

[morrobay]

Can some of the locals post a photo of whats called a large wave in Phuket please? Because I have not seen any . If I had my duck feet with me I would make a trip down there.

What you have here is very inexperienced tourists in a strong afternoon rip. I use the term to include all outbound and side ways water movement (not just the texbook rip diagram )

With the wave/swell direction from the South going into the Phuket bays at an even a slight angle , the water is then forced back out at the Northern part of the bay. Even an experienced swimmer/body surfer with fins might choose to just ride it out.

You were very correct until you mentioned 'waves/swell from the South'.

Im assuming with the S.W. moonsoon it would be a South swell. If it is a straight West and the bays are facing slightly South then there would be outbound current at North point , the same effect.

Correction on above: With a West swell the bays would have to be facing slightly NORTH for an equivalent scenario. But its only academic now since the locals have informed this

is not applicable. Its also over simplified not taking into account wave refraction. But this scenario, side rips, do exist like just North of Ventura pier where I got taken through the pilings with fins..

Edited July 26, 2013 by morrobay

[morrobay]

RIP to the Russian man.

Very sad indeed.

I constantly remind the lifeguards at Nai Harn it can only take 1 or 2 minutes for someone to get in serious trouble. They have been doing a very good job of keeping people out of the water when it's obviously dangerous.

Yes indeed, very sad,......RIP

(It's re-assuring and good to know that you're around and constantly reminding the lifeguards on how to do their job...)

With about 30 drownings a year its obvious the lifeguards need all the help they can get. Im sure grumpyoldman has more ocean experience than all the Phuket guards combined.

For comparison San Diego City has only about 3-4 drownings a year and some of those are at unguarded beaches This is a large area , from Point Loma up to Blacks

[stevenl]

Can some of the locals post a photo of whats called a large wave in Phuket please? Because I have not seen any . If I had my duck feet with me I would make a trip down there.

What you have here is very inexperienced tourists in a strong afternoon rip. I use the term to include all outbound and side ways water movement (not just the texbook rip diagram )

With the wave/swell direction from the South going into the Phuket bays at an even a slight angle , the water is then forced back out at the Northern part of the bay. Even an experienced swimmer/body surfer with fins might choose to just ride it out.

You were very correct until you mentioned 'waves/swell from the South'.

Im assuming with the S.W. moonsoon it would be a South swell. If it is a straight West and the bays are facing slightly South then there would be outbound current at North point , the same effect.

Correction on above: With a West swell the bays would have to be facing slightly NORTH for an equivalent scenario. But its only academic now since the locals have informed this

is not applicable. Its also over simplified not taking into account wave refraction. But this scenario, side rips, do exist like just North of Ventura pier where I got taken through the pilings with fins..

We're talking Phuket here in the Phuket forum.

You do seem to know a lot about rips, but nothing about Phuket. There are no side rips of any importance here.

Edited July 26, 2013 by stevenl

[grumpyoldman]

RIP to the Russian man.

Very sad indeed.

I constantly remind the lifeguards at Nai Harn it can only take 1 or 2 minutes for someone to get in serious trouble. They have been doing a very good job of keeping people out of the water when it's obviously dangerous.

Yes indeed, very sad,......RIP

(It's re-assuring and good to know that you're around and constantly reminding the lifeguards on how to do their job...)

With about 30 drownings a year its obvious the lifeguards need all the help they can get. Im sure grumpyoldman has more ocean experience than all the Phuket guards combined.

For comparison San Diego City has only about 3-4 drownings a year and some of those are at unguarded beaches This is a large area , from Point Loma up to Blacks

Through discussions with the guards on the beach I go to, I have come to realize I do them a real dis-service, by diving in to go bodysurfing right where they might have placed a red flag or where there might be a rip developing.

To the less experienced water people on the beach, it looks as though it's all o.k. Look at that guy, he's having fun out there........

I'm now making more of an effort of going in the water where it is safe for all. Are the waves not as good for bodysurfing............well, oh well, have to look at a bigger picture and help the guards out.

[Sydneycraig]

Would be nice for the surfers to try and stay out of the small red/yellow flagged area that is set up for swimming....you may not drown there but a good chance you will get a surfboard in the side of your head ... Too much to ask I know...