Abstract
Rip currents are fast moving, offshore flows that have the ability to move even the strongest swimmers into deeper waters. Miami Beach, Florida is one of the most visited beaches in the USA and a sought after destination for citizens and international tourists alike. It is also known to be a rip current “hot spot.” These factors greatly increase the risk of drowning; however, no previous research has focused on beachgoer perception of rip-related risks in South Florida. Over a 12-month period, 203 public surveys were collected to determine the rip current knowledge of beachgoers at Miami Beach based on factors such as swimming ability and frequency of beach visits. The responses were analyzed by constructing a normalized component factor to determine the respondent’s comprehensive knowledge of rips, and multiple regression models were used to assess the net influences of sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics on the responses. A significant proportion of the survey respondents showed insufficient knowledge, indicating they are at risk of drowning in a rip current. Frequent beachgoer’s exposure to the beach environment, maturation, and nativity is identified as the main contributors to knowledge net of other sociodemographic compositions. The most at-risk groups were determined to be young adults, foreign tourists, poor swimmers, and those who infrequently visited the beach. Miami Beach needs to initiate a rip current safety campaign to target these at-risk beachgoers, where interventions beyond familial and educational institutions should be introduced.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arozarena I, Houser C, Echeverria A, Brannstrom C (2015) The rip current hazard in Costa Rica. Nat Hazards 77:753–768
Barlas B, Beji S (2016) Rip current fatalities on the Black Sea beaches of Istanbul and effects of cultural aspects in shaping the incidents. Nat Hazards 80:811–821
Brander R, Dominey-Howes D, Champion C, Del Vecchio O, Brighton B (2013) A new perspective on the Australian rip current hazard. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 13:1687–1690
Brannstrom C, Trimble S, Santos A, Brown H, Houser C (2014) Perception of the rip current 24 hazard on Galveston Island and North Padre Island, Texas, USA. Nat Hazards 72:1123–1138
Brannstrom C, Brown HL, Houser C, Trimble S, Santos A (2015) You can’t see them from here: evaluating beach user understanding of a rip current warning sign. Appl Geogr 56:61–70
Caldwell N, Houser C, Meyers-Arendt K (2013) Ability of beach users to identify rip currents at Pensacola Beach, Florida. Nat Hazards 68(2):1041–1056
Castelle B, Scott T, Brander RW, McCarroll RJ (2016) Rip current types, circulation, and hazard. Earth Sci Rev 163:1–21
Drozdzewski D, Shaw W, Dominey-Howes D, Brander R, Walton T, Gero A, Sherker S, Goff J, Edwick B (2012) Surveying rip current survivors: preliminary insights into the experiences of being caught in rip currents. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 12:1201–1211
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
Gensini A, Ashley W (2010) An examination of rip current fatalities in the United States. Nat Hazards 54:159–175
Hanes D (2016) Human instability related to drowning risk in surf zones for novice beachgoers or weak swimmers. Nat Hazards 83(1):761–766
Houser C, Brander R, Brannstrom C, Trimble S, Flaherty J (2016) Case study of rip current knowledge amongst students participating in a study abroad program. Front Interdiscip J Study Abroad 28:42–60
Houser C, Trimble S, Brander R, Brewster BC, Dusek G, Jones D, Kuhn J (2017) Public perceptions of a rip current hazard education program: "Break the Grip of the Rip!". Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 17:1003–1024
Houston JR (2008) The economic value of beaches—a 2008 update. Shore & Beach 76(3):22–26
Lushine J (2011) Florida rip current deaths: forecasts and statistics. Rip Currents: beach safety, physical oceanography, and wave modeling. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 125–132
McCoy C, Howe M, Ellis C, Bacon R (2010) Assessment of the South Carolina’s Sea Grant extension program’s rip currents awareness program. Report
Morgan D, Ozanne-Smith J, Triggs T (2009) Direct observation measurement of drowning risk exposure for surf beach bathers. J Sci Med Sport 12(4):457–462
National Weather Service (2016) U.S. surf zone fatalities 2015 http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/fatalities15.shtml
Paxton C (2014) Atmosphere and ocean conditions and social aspects associated with rip current drownings in the United States. Ph.D. Dissertation, School of Geosciences, University of South Florida
Paxton C, Collins J (2014) Weather, ocean, and social aspects associated with rip current deaths in the United States. Journal of Coastal Research 72(Special Issue):50–55
Shepard F, Emery K, LaFond E (1941) Rip currents: a process of geological importance. J Geol 49(4):337–369
Sherker S, Williamson A, Hatfield J, Brander R, Hayen A (2010) Beachgoer’s beliefs and behaviors in relation to beach flags and rip currents. Accid Anal Prev 42:1785–1804
StataCorp (2013) Stata statistical software: release 13. College Station. StataCorp LP, Texas
U.S. Census (2014) Miami-Dade County QuickFacts. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/12086.html
United States Lifesaving Association (2011) Rip Currents. http://www.usla.org/?page=RIPCURRENTS
United States Lifesaving Association (2016) National statistics by state http://arc.usla.org/Statistics/public.asp26
Williamson A, Hatfield J, Sherker S, Brander R, Hayen A (2012) A comparison of attitudes and knowledge of beach safety in Australia for beachgoers, rural residents, and international tourists. Aust N Z J Public Health 36:385–391
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 65(Special Issue):850
Acknowledgements
We wish to express thanks to everyone who has assisted in the production and distribution of this survey, from participating in test studies to collection and inputting of data. Particularly special thanks must be given to Ms. Addis Gonzalez and Mr. Jorge Valdes of FIU’s Undergraduate Geosciences Program, who devoted so much time and effort to this study—your assistance was invaluable.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix
Appendix
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fallon, K.M., Lai, Q. & Leatherman, S.P. Rip current literacy of beachgoers at Miami Beach, Florida. Nat Hazards 90, 601–621 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-3060-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-3060-7