December 2010 (ROTM #24) Mar del Plata, Argentina

One type of rip current is a topographic rip. These are found next to fixed features such as headlands, groynes and jetties. Basically the waves push water along the beach, it hits the structure and is forced out to sea. Often these rip currents are permanent, as long as waves are breaking. The beaches along the coast of Mar del Plate, in Buenos Aires Province in Argentina have many groynes and a lot of topographic rips. You can spot the rip as the dark gap next to the groyne. This picture was provided to me from Estela Corelli who tragically lost her son in a rip current. She has launched her own campaign to educate people in Argentina about rip currents and has a Facebook page (in Spanish)

There are almost always rips along groynes