MOBILE, Ala. — Most of us love it, a warm sunny day along a coastline, laying in the sand and playing in the surf, but even on those sunny days, the water can be dangerous.
"The number one weather related killer is rip currents along the northern Gulf coast," said Jason Beaman, the meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service office in Mobile, Alabama.
The local forecast office that covers the coast line from Dauphin Island, Alabama to Destin, Florida. This area of the Gulf coast experiences rip currents at a higher frequency because of the persistent on-shore winds and the shallow shelf below the water's surface.
"If people aren't aware of their surroundings and what rip currents are, it sadly has resulted in many fatalities in our area," Beaman said.
So just what exactly is a rip current? It is a fast moving channel of water away from the coast, one that can pull swimmers away from the shoreline.
They can sometimes be seen with sand and debris kicked up in the water, but more often than not, they are not as obvious. Luckily, there are steps you can take to stay out of this situation. First, check the forecast.
Beaman says, "If you just go to Weather.gov/beach and click on the umbrella for that location, it will tell you what the forecast is for those days."
CHECK THE FORECAST: Click here to see the latest rip current conditions at U.S. beaches
And if you forget, green, yellow, and red flags along guarded beaches are there to remind you.
"They are taking into account our forecast, but they are also eyes on the water. What are the local conditions?" said Beaman.
Now, if you do get stuck in a rip current the number one thing is to stay calm and don't fight the current, you won't win.
Relax and float to conserve energy.
Don't try to swim directly to the shore, instead swim along the shoreline until you can escape the current.
Then, swim along an angle away from the current toward the shore.
"We don't want to scare anyone away from the beach," Beaman said. "Our beach is a wonderful place to visit anytime of the year. There are just certain days you don't want to get into the water."