This page is in Rip Currents
Rip currents form when water piled up between the breaking waves and the beach returns to sea is to form a rip current, a narrow jet of water moving swiftly offshore, roughly perpendicular to the shoreline.
Rip Currents are powerful currents of water moving away from shore. They can sweep even the strongest swimmer out from shore.

Do not try to swim against the current. Rip currents often move faster than an olympic swimmer can swim. If you get caught in a rip current, you can either:

Swim perpendicular to the current until your out of the current, then swim towards shore at an angle away from the current, or
tread water and float with the current until it dissipates, and then swim back to the shore, at an angle way from the current.
Rip currents have been making the news in Lake Superior lately, and with good reason. In 2003, 21-year-old Matthew Rheaume died in a rip current while swimming along Minnesota Point, and there have been several other rip current rescues in 2003 and 2004. Nationwide, rip currents are responsible for more than 80 percent of lifeguard rescues and claim more than 100 lives each year, more than hurricanes, lightning, floods, and tornadoes. Their occurrence in the Great Lakes has been known for many years, but recent events have brought them to the forefront of our attention. Given the popularity, heavy use, and remoteness of many Lake Superior beaches it’s important for swimmers and recreationists to know how to identify rip currents and know how to get out of one if they get caught.

Rip currents are formed when waves break near the shoreline, piling up water between the breaking waves and the beach. One of the ways that this water returns to sea is to form a rip current, a narrow jet of water moving swiftly offshore, roughly perpendicular to the shoreline. Rip currents can be found on many surf beaches every day. Rip currents most typically form at low spots or breaks in sandbars, and also near structures such as groins, jetties and piers. Rip currents can occur at any beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes.

There are several visual clues to spotting rip currents: A break in the incoming wave pattern, a channel of churning, choppy water, a channel with a different water color, or foam or objects moving steadily away from shore.