Rip Current Safety Tips

We encourage you to watch the following videos. It only takes a minute, and it could end up saving your life.

TOPSAIL BEACH BEACH Rip Current Flag System

A minute of reading can save your life, your kids or someone you love.

Learn about Rip/Long shore Currents BEFORE you or your children get wet.


We STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT enter the water if RED flags are flying on the beach. Stay out and stay safe.

Rip Current Flags

The Town of Topsail Beach, has partnered with Pender County EMS, to initiate a rip current flag warning system. The purpose of this program is to educate and bring awareness to the public on the dangers of rip currents, as well as provide daily updates on the presence of rip currents along our beach.


Rip currents are dangerous, channeled currents of water that can carry swimmers away from the shore. They may be present, even when not visible just by looking at the water. Flags are posted at all public beach accesses and beach conditions are monitored throughout each day. Flags will change based on the conditions. Please remember that the absence of red flags does not assure safe conditions. Please get familiar with what each color means. Remember, many visitors, tourist and vacationers are unfamiliar with the Rip Current danger, so spreading the word can help reduce the loss of life.

green flag

Green Flags- Low Hazard and Calm Conditions

The ocean is always unpredictable, and even on clear and calm days, hazards still exist. However, there are days when the threat of danger is lower then others. A green flag on the beach is an all-clear sign, indicating that it's safe to swim. Even when the flag is green, make sure to exercise caution in the ocean.

yellow flag

Yellow Flags- Be Aware and Cautious

Yellow flags mean some rip current activity is expected. You should be cautious if entering the water, don't swim alone, and know what to do if caught in a rip current. If you're swimming with children, or you aren't a strong swimmer yourself, wear a life jacket when swimming on yellow-flag days.

red flag

Red Flag- Strong and Frequent Rip Currents are Expected

Red flags mean dangerous rip current activity is expected. The rip currents would be likely to be stronger and more frequent. Though you can still swim if there is a red flag, all swimmers are discouraged from entering the water. Those entering the water should use extreme caution.

We hear ALL the time...

"I grew up swimming, I will be fine"



....unfortunately, we have seen tragedy and have seen that this mindset just doesn't help...plus it wont help your family if someone accidently gets into a RIP Current.


Please...this is A MUST READ to keep both YOU and YOUR family safe!

Beach Policy

Spend your holiday vacation relaxing in our captivating oceanfront destination here at Sea Vista Motel in Topsail Beach, North Carolina. We have listed a few guidelines and policies to help you maximize your wonderful beach experience.

Rip Currents Q and A's

  • What is a rip current?

    Rip currents are currents of water flowing away from the shore at surf beaches. They typically extend from near the shoreline, through the surf zone and past the line of breaking waves. The surf zone is the area between the high tide level on the beach to the seaward side of breaking waves.

  • What is undertow? Do rip currents pull people underwater?

    There is disagreement among coastal scientists on the existence of a nearshore process called undertow, and hence there is not an agreed on definition for this word. Undertow is a term often and incorrectly used for rip currents. The best explanation for what many people attribute to undertow is as follows: After a wave breaks and runs up the beach, most of the water flows seaward; this "backwash" of water can trip waders, move them seaward, and make them susceptible to immersion from the next incoming wave; however, there is no surf zone force that pulls people under the water.

  • Why do some people use terms like runouts and rip tides when you are calling them rip currents?

    These terms, though once commonly used in certain regions, are now considered incorrect. The National Weather Service, Sea Grant, and the USLA are working together to use consistent terminology to provide a clear rip current safety message to the public.

  • What happens to people caught in a rip current?

    People get in trouble when they are moved so far offshore that they are unable to get back to the beach because of fear, panic, exhaustion, or lack of swimming skills.

  • Are all rip currents dangerous?

    Rip currents are present on many beaches every day of the year, but they are usually too slow to be dangerous to beachgoers. Certain wave, tide and beach shape conditions can increase rip currents to dangerous speeds.


    How do rip currents form? Rip currents are formed when waves break near the shoreline, piling up water between the breaking waves and the beach. One of the ways that this water returns to sea is to form a rip current, a narrow jet of water moving swiftly away from shore, roughly perpendicular to the shoreline.

  • How big are rip currents?

    Rip currents can be as narrow as 10 or 20 feet in width though some may be up to 10 times wider. The length of the rip current also varies. Rip currents begin to slow down as they move offshore, beyond the breaking waves, but sometimes extend for hundreds of feet beyond the surf zone.

  • How fast are rip currents?

    Rip current speeds can vary. Sometimes they are too slow to be considered dangerous. However, under certain wave, tide and beach conditions the speeds can quickly become dangerous. Rip currents have been measured to exceed 5 mph, slower than you can run but faster than you or even an Olympic swimmer can swim. In some cases they have been measured as fast as 8 feet per second. This is faster than the speed at which an Olympic swimmer can swim a 50-meter sprint. Under most tide and sea conditions rip currents are relatively slow. However, under certain wave, tide, and beach profile conditions the speeds can quickly increase to become dangerous to anyone entering the surf. The strength and speed of a rip current will likely increase as wave height and wave period increase.

  • Where should I look for rip currents?

    Rip currents most typically form at low spots or breaks in sandbars, and also near structures such as groins, jetties and piers. Rip currents can occur at any beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico. Rip current can be difficult for the average beachgoer to identify. Look for differences in the water color, water motion, incoming wave shape or breaking point compared to adjacent conditions. Look for any of these clues:

    Channel of churning, choppy water

    Area having a notable difference in water color

    Line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward

    Break in the incoming wave pattern

    One, all or none of these clues may be visible.

For more Rip Current questions and answers, visit https://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent-faqs.