Riptides are the reason for most of the drowning casualties in an ocean. In Costa Rica, many travelers get caught in riptides. Understanding how to get out of a riptide could potentially save your life.

Because riptides can flow out to sea at an a fast rate (10 kph/6 mph), it's important to understand several things to survive.

• Call for help immediately, as you will have only a few second before you are swept out to sea.
• Conserve your energy. Do not fight the current.
• Do to attempt to swim directly back to shore.
• Rather, try one of the following two things:
• Tread water and let the tide sweep you out past the breakers.
• Once you are out of the rip, you can swim out of the channel and rides the waves back to shore.
• Or, you can swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the channel.

Riptides occur mostly on beaches where there is strong surf. But, a rip can occur anywhere.

Look for signs of a riptide:

• Brownish-colored water on the surface is caused by swept-up sand and debris.
• Flattening of the surface happens when the water enters a depression in the ocean floor and rushes out to sea.

Stay calm. Don't panic. Preserve your energy to swim out of the channel after you've hit the break.

Costa Rica has been a surfing hot spot since the movie Endless Summer II profiled some of the country's most appealing breaks. This is one of the big reasons to travel to Costa Rica. There's something in Costa Rica for all skill sets.