High Rip Current Threat For Father's Day

MELBOURNE, Florida - The National Weather Service of Melbourne Florida has issued a Coastal Hazard Message which states that a High Rip Current Threat will be in effect from 8:00 a.m. through this evening along the eastern coast of Central Florida on Father's Day:

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
435 AM EDT SUN JUN 17 2012


FLZ047-054-059-064-141-147-171600-
/O.NEW.KMLB.RP.S.0003.120617T1200Z-120618T0000Z/
SOUTHERN BREVARD-INDIAN RIVER-ST. LUCIE-MARTIN-COASTAL VOLUSIA-
NORTHERN BREVARD-
435 AM EDT SUN JUN 17 2012

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING
THROUGH THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A HIGH RIP
CURRENT RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING
THROUGH THIS EVENING.

* TIMING...THE SURF ZONE WILL BE HAZARDOUS ALL DAY BUT THE
  GREATEST RIP CURRENT RISK WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY
  THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO TIDAL EFFECTS.

* IMPACTS...THE SURF WILL NOT BE AS ROUGH TODAY DUE TO SLIGHTLY
  WEAKER ONSHORE WINDS. HOWEVER...LONG PERIOD OCEAN SWELLS AND AN
  UPCOMING NEW MOON WILL PRODUCE A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG
  AREA BEACHES. WHEN THE RIP CURRENT RISK IS HIGH...THE SURF ZONE
  IS DANGEROUS FOR ALL LEVELS OF SWIMMERS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS.

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE...WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS JETTIES AND
PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS AND THE BEACH PATROL. PAY
ATTENTION TO FLAGS AND POSTED SIGNS.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT...DO NOT PANIC. REMAIN CALM
AND BEGIN TO SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE. ONCE YOU ARE AWAY FROM THE
FORCE OF THE RIP CURRENT...BEGIN TO SWIM BACK TO THE BEACH. DO
NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY AGAINST A RIP CURRENT. EVEN A STRONG
SWIMMER CAN BECOME EXHAUSTED QUICKLY.