You'll find rips in between the sand banks - mainly indicated by a deeper, darker section of water. These will be easier to identify at low tide, as the sandbanks on either sides of the rip (where the waves are breaking) become shallower and the differences in colour shades will be more obvious.
There will be no breaking waves or consistent white water in the main part of the rip, any waves that reach this area will be affected by the deeper water and an immediate transformation will occur from a breaking wave (whitewater) back into a swell. You will at times notice ripples on the surface - indicating the strongest part of the rip and the movement of the water off the beach. Rips are one directional, so have a look at the attached images and see if you can see where the rips are feeding from and where they are heading once moving off the beach.
Rips are all different shapes and sizes and can change within a matter of minutes depending on the change of tides, wind intensity & direction, and surf conditions. Water will move off the sandbanks into the rips, so make sure when you’re swimming on the sandbank - to constantly look at the surrounding area.
Rips should only to be used by experienced surfers.
More information on how to escape/survive rips and where rips go in next weeks post