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New simulator teaches you how to escape a rip current
Do you know how to get out of a rip current? Do you know what a rip current feels like? A new simulator has debuted at Daytona State College, where Volusia County Beach Safety lifeguards can show kids, adults, and families what happens when you're stuck in a rip current and, most important, how to get out of one. Here are the main steps: Swim near a lifeguard, signal for help, then swim parallel to the shore. Once you realize you're out of one, then you can begin to swim towards shore again. FOX 35's Amanda Ruiz talked with Volusia County Beach Safety about the new simulator.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Volusia County Beach Safety is turning to a new hands-on training tool to help residents and tourists better understand one of the ocean’s most persistent dangers: rip currents.
The device, demonstrated Thursday at Daytona State College’s Aquatic Center, is designed to simulate the pull of a rip current in a controlled pool environment.
What we know:
Rip currents are common along Volusia County’s beaches, where lifeguards conduct between 2,000 and 2,500 water rescues each year. Nationwide, officials estimate that roughly 80% of surf rescues involve rip currents.
The simulator will allow beach safety personnel to recreate rip current conditions inside a swimming pool. Officials say that a controlled setting will allow participants to safely experience the sensation of being pulled by a current and practice techniques to escape.
The simulator was purchased using grant funding reimbursed by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Daytona State’s indoor aquatic facility provides a year-round training site for community partners, including law enforcement and first responders.
What they're saying:
The Volusia County Beach Safety team showcased the rip current simulator earlier in the day, saying it will be used to teach people how to recognize rip currents, how to avoid them and what to do if they get caught in one.
"Rip currents, especially in Volusia County, can be very strong," Beach Safety Deputy Chief AJ Miller said. "A lot of times people don’t realize they’re stuck in a rip current until they try and swim in, and they can’t."
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Rip currents: How do they form?
FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Jessica Dobson explains how rip currents form.
"Using these simulators, we’ll actually be showing what rip currents are, how to spot them and how to get out of them," Miller added. "Then we’ll put people in the pool in a controlled environment so they can see what it feels like and practice what to do."
Officials said the program is intended to make water safety education more interactive and memorable, particularly for visitors unfamiliar with local beach conditions.
Local perspective:
Volusia County’s coastline is a major draw for tourists year-round, increasing the number of swimmers who may be unfamiliar with rip current risks.
Beach Safety officials plan to partner with local community groups and hotels to bring the simulator directly to neighborhood and hotel pools, broadening access to the training beyond the beach itself.
By taking the simulator into the community, officials hope to reduce preventable rescues and improve overall beach safety awareness in one of Florida’s busiest coastal regions.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Daytona State College and Volusia County Beach Safety.