A large rip is visible as a long stretch of flat water near the old pier at St Clair Beach, Dunedin. David Toomey, who stars in one of the videos, said he felt powerless when he was caught in a rip while swimming at Palm Beach on Waiheke Island in December. I managed to get to some rocks and recover before walking as far as possible around the rip and swimming back to shore." These are Relax and float, Raise your hand and Ride the rip - something Toomey wishes he had known earlier. If you Relax and float, Raise your hand and Ride the rip you'll have the best chance of getting to safety."

Source: Otago Daily Times February 10, 2019 06:44 UTC