1976, was sure a good year for ocean safety literature. I stumbled across this book in my bathroom and thought it was going to be a joke. After reading some of the information, I realized the best parts are the illustrations. They are very entertaining. I was hoping to find some good 'undertow' Info. So undertow is caused by breaking waves. Since the waves energy is moving towards to beach in a circular motion, after the wave breaks, the water doesn't just stop spinning. The waves energy keeps moving in it's circulars course, pulling water along with it. As the wave crashes down its motion continues spiraling and eventually begins pulling down and out towards the ocean. undertow is less dangerous than Riptides because it involves less moving water.Riptides and undertows are related. Breaking waves approaching the beach carry water toward the beach. The water can't just pile up there: it has to escape back out to sea somehow. If there's a place along the beach where the waves aren't as strong, the piled-up water near the shore escapes through that weak spot, flowing back out to sea. This is a rip tide. If there is no spot with weaker surf, the piled-up water flows down and under the waves and back out to sea, forming an undertow.
I've never experienced an undertow which was strong enough to actually suck someone under water: most deaths attributed to "undertow" happen when people playing in the area where the waves run up onto the beach get their feet knocked out from under them when the water flows back down to the sea. They get dragged a short distance into the breakers, and aren't strong enough or knowledgeable enough to get back to shore. (http://www.mit.edu/)
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