Rip Currents At Our Local Beaches

This year, four people died from rip currents at Brunswick beaches. Rip currents are not new, just that it can catch people off guard. Here is a short video to help explain what they are and what to do. 

Tom 

Woody Love

Rick just got his 9'10" woody long board. Looks good on top his '29 Ford Woody. Love his roof racks.

 

Rip Current Rescue

Yesterday,  I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time to rescued a little kid who was headed out to sea in a rip current. No one saw what was happening. I was about 100 feet from the kid and paddled like hell to reach him. He grab him, pulled him up on my surfboard and swam along side to shore.  I was giving a surf lesson at 13th. Street, Sunset Beach.

Rip tides can be seen or not. Best to not venture out too far unless the surf is really flat. The surf conditions were deceiving today. Waves were about 2 to maybe 3 foot, nothing big. But the incoming tide and increasing wave size, along with wind conditions, along with very shallow sand bars combined to create a deadly current.

Just because you do not see a rip, if you're feeling current trying to move you down the beach, that is enough warning to not go out too far.  

Wood is Good

Listen to reason - don't swim when there are rip tides.

On-shore wind for three weeks and it continues this and next week. Wind pushes water onto a beach that has to let water flow back out. Rip tides are nasty physics lessons. Amazing how some people just do not read signs posted or think they are better than others. To venture into our surf under todays conditions is just plain dumb.

http://www.wbtw.com/story/22757038/1-dead-4-hurt-after-rip-currents-hit-sunset-beach-and-ocean-isle

Tom

Rip Currents, Nasty water

Even experience surfers and swimmers can get caught unaware of this deadly current. Even in small surf conditions a rip current can happen. Here is a rather good photo of what one looks like. Always swim 90 degrees of a rip or don't fight it. The current will dissipate as it gets further from shore. People get in trouble when the panic and try to swim against he current. Even the strong can tire quickly.

RIP CURRENT: Stay safe while at the beach this summer! This could save your life. Do you know what a rip current looks like? We have probably all seen them and weren't aware of the danger. When you see waves and then a small section of "flat" waves in between, that's a rip current. The water is moving in the opposite direction. Stay clear of these areas!! This is NOT a calm place to hang out with small children. PLEASE SHARE

Thanks Grouper Hole for posting this information

Tom
 

Keep Butts Off NC Beaches

Most of you who read this are guests to our local beaches. Of all the beaches in NC, especially Brunswick County, Sunset Beach is the cleanest we have seen. Many of us surfers take pride in keeping it clean and Sunset Beach's maintenance crew does an awesome job, all pick up trash, to keep SB clean.

If you can spare a few minutes and help keep Wrightsville Beach butt free, please send the below message to our state government. Yes, it's not about Sunset Beach but our plan has been to follow Wrightsville Beach, which now looks a tad bit more difficult.

Surfrider Cape Fear Chapter needs your support. For all you locals, please cut and paste the address list below and either craft your own letter (click here to see Cape Fear Chapter's website for this issue)  In short:  Wrightsville Beach NC imposed a ban on smoking on their beaches. Now NC state government wants to over rule local authority and remove that self-imposed ban.

You can cut and paste the address list to make it easier to send this letter of concern to our state representatives.

Thanks for your support,
Tom Allen

 "Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net" ; "Jim.Davis@ncleg.net" ; "Trudy.Wade@ncleg.net" ; "Tamara.Barringer@ncleg.net" ; "tan.Bingham@ncleg.net" ; "Don.Davis@ncleg.net" ; "Thom.Goolsby@ncleg.net" ; "Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net" ; "Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net" ; "Ellie.Kinnaird@ncleg.net" ; "Gene.McLaurin@ncleg.net" ; "Martin.Nesbitt@ncleg.net" ; "Louis.Pate@ncleg.net" ; "Jeff.Tarte@ncleg.net" ; "Michael.Walters@ncleg.net"

Subject: Ban on Smoking at NC beaches

I respect the rights of citizens and local governments in determining how they want to regulate their communities. SB 703 is designed to overturn a referendum voted in place by a strong majority of the citizens of Wrightsville Beach and limit the authority of municipal governments throughout the state.  I feel that this bill goes a long way in taking the power out of the voter’s hands and places it squarely in the hands of government.  This bill, as it is written, would also remove the rights of our community colleges to be able to effectively govern their campuses.  In my opinion, this would be a step backward in the democratic process we hold so firm.  As it stands, this bill is a clear example of special interest groups and lobbyists trying to trump the will of the public.
As our elected official, I ask that you please stand strong in helping to promote clean and healthy communities and OPPOSE SB 703.

We pickup trash constantly. Most disheartening is cigarette butts. They do not degrade and pose health risk to fish and wildlife.

Sincerely and thank you for taking time to help our community.