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Sea Grant

Michigan Sea Grant is a cooperative program of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. It is one of 29 Sea Grant programs nationwide, including six programs in the Great Lakes states.

Michigan Sea Grant College Program incorporates Great Lakes Research and Education on:

Aquatic Nuisance Species
Coastal Communities
Fisheries
Great Lakes Education Program
Great Lake Fisheries Leadership Institute
Know Your Nets
Rip Currents
Wetlands
Rip Currents Rip Currents

A "rip current" is a seaward-moving current. Try to imagine a sandy underwater river suddenly forming and occurring on the bottom of the lake.

"Rips" are created when accumulating waves on shore use gravity to get back into open sea. Something gives - the sandbars on the lake floor and everything in its path is catapulted out into the lake.

 Rip currents are sometimes, mistakenly called "rip tides" or "undertows." Although this terminology attempts to refer to similar phenomenon, it is a bit misleading, since rip currents are not directly associated with tides and they do not "pull" people under. Rip currents pull victims away from the beach, farther out into the lake.
Rip Currents may form in breaks in nearshore sandbars.
A groin or jetty may divert the current.
If caught in a rip current swim parallel to shore.

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