Keep this in mind when you are playing around in the ocean this summer. Statistically, floating in place and staying calm is probably your best bet for staying alive in a rip current. Researchers have found that the majority of rip current systems induce current patterns that recirculate swimmers back onto an adjacent shallow bar. Only in 25% of cases do rip currents pull swimmers offshore. So the old advice of swimming parallel to shore is not your best bet. Save your energy incase you do get pulled out.
