In August come the days of the dead swell in the Black Sea. The phenomenon is formed when the air and water temperatures change abruptly.
If you get caught in a dead swell, you should not fight the current, but try to swim parallel to the shore until you get out of the danger zone.
Don’t panic, but save your strength and shout for help.
How do we recognize this current so we don’t get caught in it?
Pay attention to the following signs:
1. A visible corridor of foaming water perpendicular to the shore.
2. Areas of different water hue are visible in the coastal area; for example, the water around is light blue or greenish and one area is white, for example.
3. A stretch of foam, seaweed, bubbles that moves steadily from the shore inland into the sea.
4. A continuous line of tidal waves showing breaks 5-10 meters wide.
Always remember:
1. Dead swell will not drag you to the bottom.
It is not a whirlpool. Often the dead swell is short and high speed. It only moves the surface layer of water, which drifts inwards into the sea, but not towards the bottom!
2. The dead current is not wide.
Its width does not exceed 50 meters. And in most cases it is only 10-20 meters. And if you swim literally 20-30 meters parallel to the shore, you will notice that you are out of the current.
3. The length of the dead swell is also limited.
The current weakens fast enough, the draft weakens where the waves reach their peak and start to break. This is where all the surfers gather, preparing to conquer the incoming waves. Usually this spot is no more than 100 meters from the shore.
WHAT TO DO WHEN IN A DEAD SWELL ZONE?
1. It is imperative to keep your composure.
Panic is your worst enemy in such situations. Staying calm provides a good chance of getting out of the water unscathed. In the beginning, the current pulls strongly inwards and instinctively one throws all his strength in an attempt to resist it. These efforts only lead to loss of strength and subsequently to panic, which can be disastrous.
2. Swim parallel to the shore.
The dead swell is seldom wider than ten or twenty yards. Therefore, when one swims parallel to the shore, one leaves the current zone and out of danger.
3. If going sideways does not work either, stay with the current.
In this case (very rare) the current is quite wide. If you encounter a lot of resistance, even swimming parallel to shore, let the current carry you to the surface.
Please share this information with your friends. Let as many people as possible know about the dead swell. You may save not only your life, but other people’s lives this way.
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