Abstract
This paper provides qualitative descriptions of the physical mechanisms that can cause human instability in surf zones, where human instability is considered the loss of solid contact between an individual’s feet and the seabed. The forces resulting from the combination of waves and currents typical in surf zones present a hazard to novice beachgoers and weak swimmers that is often not recognized by those individuals. A conservative “rule of thumb” is that the deepest water a novice beachgoer should reach, even during the passage of wave crests, is a depth that only reaches the persons thigh, that is, between the knee and the waste.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Abt S, Wittier R, Taylor A (1989) Human stability in a high flood hazard zone. J Am Water Resour As 25(4):881–891
Bradstreet AJ, Brander RW, McCarroll JR, Brighton B, Howes DD, Drozdzewski D, Sherker S, Turner I, Roberts A, MacMahan JH (2014) Rip current survival principles: towards consistency. J Coast Res 72:85–92
Brighton B, Sherker S, Brander R, Thompson M, Bradstreet A (2013) Rip current related drowning deaths and rescues in Australia 2004–2011. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 13(4):1069–1075
Dalrymple RA, MacMahan JH, Reniers AJ, Nelko V (2011) Rip currents. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 43:551–581
Drozdzewski D, Roberts A, Dominey-Howes D, Brander R (2015) The experiences of weak and non-swimmers caught in rip currents at Australian beaches. Aust Geogr 46(1):15–32
Engle J, MacMahan J, Thieke RJ, Hanes DM, Dean RG (2002) Formulation of a rip current predictive index using rescue data. In: Proceedings, Florida Shore and Beach Preservations Association, Biloxi, MS
Gensini VA, Ashley WS (2010) An examination of rip current fatalities in the United States. Nat Hazards 54(1):159–175
Jonkman SN, Penning-Rowsell E (2008) Human instability in flood flows. J Am Water Resour Assoc 44(4):1208–1218
Jonkman SN, Vrijling JK, Vrouwenvelder ACWM (2008) Methods for the estimation of loss of life due to floods: a literature review and a proposal for a new method. Nat Hazards 46:353–389
Klein A, Santana C, Diehl E, De Menezes J (2003) An analysis of hazards associated with sea bathing: results of five years work in oceanic beaches of Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil. J Coastal Res SI 35:107–116
McCarroll RJ, Brander RW, MacMahan J, Turner IL, Reniers AJHM, Brown JA, Bradstreet A, Sherker S (2014) Evaluation of swimmer-based rip current escape strategies. Nat Hazards 71:1821–1846
McCool J, Ameratunga A, Moran K, Robinson E (2009) Taking a risk perception approach to improving beach swimming safety. Int J Behav Med 16:360–366
Shi F, Hanes DM, Kirby JT, Erikson LH, Barnard PL (2011) Pressure-gradient-influenced nearshore circulations on an inlet-adjacent beach. J Geophys Res Oceans. doi:10.1029/2010JC006788
Van Leeuwen BR, McCarroll RJ, Brander RW, Turner IL, Power HE, Bradstreet AJ (2016) Examining rip current escape strategies in non-traditional beach morphologies. Nat Hazards 81:145–165
Woodward E, Beaumont E, Russell P, Wooler A, Macleod R (2013) Analysis of rip current incidents and victim demographics in the UK. J Coast Res SI 65:850–855
Xia J, Falconer RA, Wang Y (2014) New criterion for the stability of a human body in floodwaters. J Hydraul Res 52(1):93–104. doi:10.1080/00221686.2013.875073
Xia J, Chen Q, Falconer RA, Deng S, Guo P (2015) Stability criterion for people in floods for various slopes. In: Water management, proceedings of Institute of Civil Engineers, paper 1400110
Acknowledgments
Discussions with Rob Brander are appreciated. Funding for this work was provided by Saint Louis University.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hanes, D.M. Human instability related to drowning risk in surf zones for novice beachgoers or weak swimmers. Nat Hazards 83, 761–766 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-016-2337-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-016-2337-6