When You Swim in the Ocean Do it With Respect

We are all counting the days until our next vacation. For many of us that means going to the beach. Most will lie in the sun, play in the surf, and maybe play a little beach volleyball. Maybe you have other ideas, maybe you're ready for a little swim, or maybe you want to take your little blowup raft and float on the waves beyond the breakers. You dive into the waves like in the movies and become one with the majesty. That is very nice but you better know what you're doing.

The ocean is not your bathtub or the local swimming pool. You are entering the dominate ecosystem on the planet and one in which you are not a natural member. Mother Nature is often portrayed as a kind of loving entity; that is a lie. Mother Nature is a cold administrator of the rules. If you cross her she will be very happy to kill you in many different ways.

You must pay attention to the waves and the currents. If the life guard puts up riptide warnings, pay attention to them. I don't care how good of a swimmer you think you are; you are not going to beat a strong riptide. A riptide is a strong current moving away from shore. It often results from the approach of a storm. The energy in the waves pushes large amounts of water toward shore. Sandbars just off shore can funnel this water into a small area as the wave goes out. The large amount of water in a small area creates the power of the rip tide. A swimmer cannot fight this power. The best thing for a swimmer to do is to swim parallel to the shore until they are beyond the energy of the rip tide and then swim to shore. Even without the riptide a swimmer should be aware of the difficulty of swimming in the constant motion of the waves. If you haven't done it before learn about it before diving in.

Now let's return to the blow up raft. Here you are lying on your raft being rocked gently in the waves. You close your eyes and enjoy the restful pleasure. A few minutes later you open your eyes and look back at shore. The people in the waves look a whole lot smaller than they did before; you have drifted on the waves. You are beyond your swimming range and now you're in trouble. Don't panic. Stay on the raft and start paddling back to shore. Take nice easy strokes and do not waste energy flailing around. Call for help as you get closer.

Remember this is not your part of the world. There are millions of creatures that naturally belong in the ocean and your not one of them. The ocean has not been prepared for your enjoyment. You can encounter the owners and if you do, they may not be happy with your presence. Animals do not reason. They will not be able to figure out that you are in their home splashing for fun. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration web site, NOAA Fisheries Fact Sheet, the vast majority could not hurt you if they wanted to, there are some that can and will if they feel threatened. Most attacks by creatures like jellyfish and crabs are really actions taken in self defense. In addition, despite movies and popular belief, humans taste terrible to predators, even to sharks. In most shark attacks a shark will mistake a human for a fish or another creature on its menu. It will take one bite and be repulsed by the taste. Unfortunately one bite may be all that it takes. Check with the life guards before venturing away from shore. They may have information of the present jellyfish and crab population and they will certainly tell you of any shark sightings.

Heed all warnings and be aware of your surroundings. The ocean is a wonder and it beckons to us. Go out and play but do it with respect.