So me, the wife and kids, and the extended family went down to a local river today, for fun in the sun. The recreational area is right near the bend in the river where it heads out to sea ( its like a big U shape ). After a morning session of playing around in the shallows ( high tide, so going the right way ), we had lunch. After lunch, we went back again, only this time its low tide, and its running out. From where we were, it looked slowish, but i tried to politely disuade people from swimming across the narrow ( 10 metres wide? ) channel, as i knew it picks up a lot of speed the closer you get to the bend. Anyway, one of the extended family ( 65+yo woman ) decides to swim across. I watch for a few minutes, then that’s it, i grab my cheapo Redback surfmat, and start paddling. By the time i got to her ( and i was going full speed ), we were both going very quickly towards the ocean side of the sandbar. I told her to stop going against the current, but with it, and across to the other side ( the side she started from ). Luckily, we both managed to get to the shallows, and up on some oyster covered rocks ( still picking shell out ).
Im sooo glad i packed the surfmat, even with it, i was pretty exhausted by the time i got to her, and was close to panic. The shallow part we got to ended not that long past where we got out. There is also an island about 200 metres directly in front of the mouth, and even with a small swell, the combination of swell coming from both sides of the island, plus a rivermouth makes it dangerous for swimming, even in calm conditions. I dont like either of our chances if we got that far.
Weirdly, around 20 years ago as a kid, the same thing happened to me in the exact same spot, and i nearly went bye bye. Strange huh??
So, thank god for surfmat’s.