ABSTRACT
Rip currents and their inherent dangers have long served as topics for both scientišc research and public discussion (MacMahan et al., 2006; Murray et al., 2003; Hammack et al., 1991; Dalrymple and Lozano, 1978; Bowen and Inman, 1969). Despite the long history of observations that led to an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon, predictive models that accurately describe conditions favorable for rip current development have been elusive. Part of the difšculty is that rip currents can be produced by a variety of mechanisms (MacMahan et al., 2006) and exhibit a wide range of characteristics. Four types are commonly recognized: (1) šxed, (2) permanent, (3) traveling, and (4) ¦ash rip currents (Brewster, 1995).
