April 2018 (ROTM#112) Marina State Beach, California

This is quite a famous rip current picture as it turns out. I took this in 2009 while on research sabbatical in Monterey, California where I was working with Professor Jamie MacMahan of the Naval Postgraduate School. Jamie is more than a legend in the world of rip currents and Marina State Beach is about 20 km north of Monterey.

This section of coast has some textbook rips and this one has all the elements. It's got a twin longshore feeder system funneling water into a narrow, offshore flowing rip neck that slows into an expanding rip head just seaward of the surf zone. The channels are clearly visible as the dark water heading straight offshore in the middle of the picture.

Why is it famous? Well, it seems to be all over the internet for one, but it's also the picture that helped design the rip current information graphic that is used by both Surf Life Saving Australia and is being considered by the United States for use in their 'Break the Grip of the Rip Campaign'. Hope they use it. It's a classic!

This is scary