Standing at the beach this morning, watching three people get swept out by a rip current brought back memories of my teenage daughter’s first surf lesson. The instructor spent more time teaching about rip identification than actual surfing - and rightfully so.

The discussion I witnessed between beachgoers today highlighted a concerning statistic: while two-thirds of us think we can spot a rip current, only about a third actually can. That’s a dangerous confidence gap that puts lives at risk every summer.