Rip Currents / safe beaches

[123456]

I can swim but I'm very cautious and don't want to be swept too far out from the shore.

Are there rip currents at Palm or Eagle beach? Where are the safest beaches with no rip, shallow waters far from shore, and no currents? Basically, safest conditions.. I know baby beach is good but wanted to know some others.

Thanks!

[Arubalisa]

• Palm Beach calm.
• Eagle Beach depends on the current conditions, some days can be just as nice as Palm Beach.
• Baby Beach stay inside the "inlet" and it is calm, kind of far just to go for a swim everyday if you are staying at a resort on Palm or Eagle Beaches.
• Rodgers Beach is usually calm due to the outside reef. Again, far end of the island and you have to be able to tolerate the view of the refinery.
• Stay out of the water on any of the beaches on the northeastern side of the island.

[TomFrederick]

>>> "Eagle Beach depends on the current conditions, some days can be just as nice as Palm Beach."
---- Ditto.
>>> "safest conditions.. " Also in front of the resorts CDM, ABC, Manchebo, Bucuti, and Cost Linda there is a rope with floats out about 30 yards from the beach so even if you drift that is there. Also keeps boats and jet skies away from you.

[TJMadhouse]

The most prevelent currents in the resort area (High and Low rise) are Longshore currents, and even these are normally mild. Longshore currents are currents that travel parallel to the shore. During certain conditions Undertow may be present though. Rip currents require certain geographical bottom conditions to exsist....normally 2 sand bars seperated by a channel between them. The bottom in the resort areas for the most part is just flat. This does not lend it's self to the creation of Rip Currents. Rip Currents are generated (for example) when water can flow around the outsides of the 2 sandbars, that generally run parallel to the beach, and get funneled into the channel between the bars. This forces a great volume of water into a relatively small area (the channel) thereby increasing the speed of the water traveling through the channel causing a Rip. Because Rip Currents are relatively narrow, if you do get caught in one it is best to keep calm and swim across the current (as opposed to trying to swim directly back to shore, which means you would be swimming directly into the Rip Current) using whatever stroke you find easiest as to conserve the most energy until you are out of it, then swim toward shore. As mentioned already DO NOT swim in ANY unprotected waters on the North, East or South side of the Island.

[danadog56]

We usually stay on the beach across from Divi and have seen some waves, but nothing major....some days are really good for body surfing, others so calm the water looks like glass. The only times when I have seen the water rough is when there is a storm or hurricane in the Caribbean and if does affect the water around the island, but not so much you can't get in it during your stay...

[Eagle Beach Boy]

Of all the times we have stayed on Eagle beach we have never had a problem. Of course we stay out of the water during BIG waves.(if there are any)

[New Jersey Mike]

I woke up thinking about this so, just a word of caution.

I recently posted about the weather and some rain, I also wanted to mention the norm is for no or little rain. The norm for rip tide/current would be on the east side but with this weather pattern is different. The current weather may cause an on-shore breeze on the west side of the island, Palm and Eagle beaches. If so a rip tide/current could be possible.

Also a couple years back at Arashi Beach while snorkeling we were pulled away from the beach due to just the normal tide effect up there. So I would err on the side of caution if there is a wind shift.

[Andrea J.]

No wind to speak of again today

We took a walk on eagle beach and Druif this morning
and water is quite flat.

Originally Posted by New Jersey Mike

I woke up thinking about this so, just a word of caution.

I recently posted about the weather and some rain, I also wanted to mention the norm is for no or little rain. The norm for rip tide/current would be on the east side but with this weather pattern is different. The current weather may cause an on-shore breeze on the west side of the island, Palm and Eagle beaches. If so a rip tide/current could be possible.
Also a couple years back at Arashi Beach while snorkeling we were pulled away from the beach due to just the normal tide effect up there. So I would err on the side of caution if there is a wind shift.

[charles]

Andrea,
I am so glad that you have brought this topic forward. I have lived on this island for the better part of my life and you are right. There are rip currents. The most dangerous ones are in front of the DIVI resorts in the Punta Brabo area. The name punta brabo means "Angry Point" The rips are so bad here that it can dump a small boat and for sure a jet ski that is motionless. A swimmer can easily find themselves in deep problems, even the strongest of swimmers. Trust that with all your heart, I have experienced it personally and was damned glad to get back to shore - which only happened because a ski boat spotted me going out.
The area around the sand dunes is equally as bad, Stay very close to inland if you decide to go snorkeling. Baby beach is just that but once outside the confines of the protective barriers, the rip is deadly. Some years ago, a dentist was just a few yards outside the barrier and they found him about a mile off shore. Another close call. So many people see the surfers at Andikuri and mistakenly try to body surf there - Forget it, it has a monster undertow. Dos Playa is the king of undertows. Pretty kite surfers and all that but once you are swimming in the channel, it is almost impossible to swim back in. My brother and his son and I had to dive down, grab coral and pull ourselves back in. We made it and I suffered with all sorts of coral poisoning on my hands. North coast blue water - YA GATTA BE NUTS. Eagle beach has a sideways tide that feeds Punta Brabo - be careful there as well. the safest area to swim is in front of the high rise hotels. There are several reasons for this. 1) It is the Leeward side of the island 2) there is a great deal of binocular vigilance 3) all the boats tend to keep an eye on each other as well as swimmers, however snorkeling in motorboat traffic isn't that hot of an idea. the ocean where the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel is scheduled to go is known to be loaded with baracudda and is not a friendly beach. NEED TO CONFIRM THIS? ASK ANY LOCAL.
If you have a thirst for seeing what is under the waters of our island, I recommend you look up a diver named Clive. He is (in my opinion) one of the safest guys on the island when it comes to deep diving and is extremely careful with his students or divers.
If your body doesn't have scales and if your lungs do not process the oxygen from the water, you are not on your own turf.
Keep that in mind.
Lastly, as a tourist destination this is not a topic that we like to bring forward but facts are facts.

be well
charles

[kent]

Charles, Thanks for the info. How would I get ahold of Clive? What outfit does he work for? Thanks Kent