How to survive a rip current?

This "New Jersey Real-Time News" carries an article entitled "Hurricane Bill making sweet swells for N.J. surfers" by Rudi Larini of The Star-Ledger reporting on the latest of the first North Atlantic hurricane, the Hurricane Bill, of 2009 with

As Hurricane Bill advances up the east coast today and Saturday, the storm is expected to stay far enough offshore to pose little threat to the mainland. But it could make for some choppy seas up and down Jersey beaches.

As of Thursday, Bill had been downgraded to a category 3 hurricane after its winds diminished from 135 to 120 miles per hour.

It is certainly good to see the hurricane stays "far enough offshore to pose little threat to mainland." Keep up the good work, Bill!

But what makes the multimedia article interesting is that it also contains this could be very timely video for surviving rip currents:



There are good introductions available on how to cope with rip currents, but this lively demonstration video is certainly most superbly informative and useful for all beach goers. Great work from NJ.com! Thanks for make it available.

Now for surfers, Aaron Applegate of The Virginia-Pilot reports this from Virginia Beach:

Surfers love hurricanes. Not that they want destruction, they're quick to remind you, just the waves.

So after a mostly flat summer - "lame" was a common adjective at the Oceanfront on Thursday - Hurricane Bill is tantalizing surfers with the prospect of an epic swell. Surf condition Web sites are running slow, overloaded with longing office workers.

Traces of Bill rolled in Thursday. Waves today should be fantastic - shoulder- to head-high. And Saturday could get crazy, maybe dangerous. Forecasts are calling for waves up to 15 feet tall. Flooding is expected in parts of the Outer Banks. The hurricane is not expected to strike land.