I feel a bit downhearted that I haven't done this sooner. But here is a thread on rips and tides.

A girl died on Norfolk coast, trying to save her sons.
I'm not going to speculate on that incident. I do not like much of the language that has been used. /1

Firstly, a rip-tide will never drag you under. It is simply a reaction to water flowing in to the shore.

Every time a wave crashes into the shore, there will be a rip carrying the water back out. It will not carry you under; only ever back into the sea.
/2

When we say "back into the sea", you need to remember one thing. And this is important when teaching children to swim: if you can swim out of your depth, you can swim when the depth is 100000m deep./3

That's a principle that is granted for logical adults but not always for kids.

Remember: if you can tread water in 10ft you can tread water in 1000ft.
/4

Back to rip tides:

You will never outswim a current. Never. Not even Michael Phelps would fight against a current. But that's not to say you can't beat a current. You beat it by treading water. Tread water. Tread water. /5

This might get quite blunt and it might feel simplistic. I've watched someone almost drown. I've watched them slowly sink under and struggle before being rescued. /6

All you need in the battle against the sea is the ability to tread water./7

Next: the nature of riptides.

Again, riptides will only ever pull you *out* to sea, never under. Riptides exist between large waves. Yes there are large riptides which you'll lose the battle against if you swim against. So you don't swim against those tides./8

Move along. That's right, swim sideways. Swim parallel to the beach. Your aim is to get out of the rip, not to right against it. The riptide will only be max 50ft. At some point, the rip will die and you will be in an inward tide. Take breaths, take a moment. Tread water. /9

This could be your life/death moment. Take your time if you get caught out there. It will be frantic. It will be enormous. It will be devastating. If you're a strong person who is a strong swimmer, it will be twice as scary. Don't fight it, tread water, swim crossways . /10

If you stabilise, ease your breathing, ease a steady movement along parallel to the beach. Please do not diminish our friends who have died in the sea by referring to their swimming skills or their strength or their luck.

We are all well-intentioned - only tributes below please.