But even on a seemingly beautiful weather day, a hidden danger can lie just under the surface: rip currents, high surf or sneaker waves -- collectively known as surf zone incidents. However, some rip currents have been measured at 8 feet per second -- faster than any Olympic swimmer ever recorded. So even if you are an excellent swimmer, you may be no match for a swift moving rip current. Just because there is a low risk of rip current development today at area beaches, doesn't mean they can't form. NOAA launches new forecast toolNOAA has recently launched a national rip current forecast model in an effort to broaden awareness and implement life-saving alerts.

Source: CNN July 18, 2021 08:03 UTC