and inexperienced swimmers are particularly vulnerable to changing surf conditions.
If you see a cross-sea pattern developing, don’t allow children to enter the water simply because the waves don’t initially look large.
NOAA advises keeping children in sight and within arm’s reach in appropriate beach-water situations and recommends checking local conditions before entering the water.
What If You Are Caught in a Strong Current?
A cross sea and a rip current are not the same thing, although dangerous wave conditions can coexist with strong currents.
Rip currents are narrow channels of water moving away from shore. They can occur at beaches with breaking waves and can pull swimmers away from land surprisingly quickly.
If you ever find yourself being pulled away from shore by a rip current, don’t panic and don’t attempt to overpower it by swimming directly toward the beach.
Instead, NOAA recommends staying calm, floating or treading water,
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