Current & Rip Tide Information
The beaches at Pensacola are a popular draw for visitors, but
tragically, many swimmers get killed in drowning accidents. Following a
few safety tips can keep you safe in case something goes wrong. At the
toll booth onto the island, and at the lifeguard stations, color coded flags are flown that tell how safe the water is for swimming.
| Low hazard, calm water, swim with caution.
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| Medium hazard, moderate surf and/or currents. Rip tides may be present. Weak swimmers shouldn't go deeper than waist-height.
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High hazard, high surf and/or strong currents. Rip tides are highly
likely. No one should be swimming, but occasionally, surfers take
advantage of the high waves during red flag conditions. Expect to be
warned about dangerous conditions by lifeguards and police.
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| Water closed to public. Usually flown during hurricanes. You can be arrested for swimming during double red flag conditions.
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| Dangerous marine life, typically jellyfish, or occasionally red tide. Usually flown along with another color flag.
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Rip tides are powerful currents that occur when water trapped
near the shoreline escapes back into the ocean through a break in an
underwater sandbar. They can drag even powerful swimmers out to sea for a
very long distance. To escape a rip tide, do not panic! If you are near
a lifeguard station, you can wave your arms and shout for help. Wait
until the rip tide is no longer carrying you out further from land, then
swim parallel to the shoreline to escape the current. Then, you can
swim back towards shore. To avoid rip tides, don't swim between the
shoreline and underwater sand bars, don't swim during low tide, and pay
attention to the color-coded flags.
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