A guide to safe swimming in Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is a beautiful lake, but it can be deadly.
As of June 19, there had already been 28 drownings in the Great Lakes this year.
Ten of them occurred in Lake Michigan.
Dave Benjamin, co-founder and co-executive director of the Greater Lakes Surf Rescue Project, said the lake’s “fundamental dynamics” make it the deadliest of the Great Lakes in terms of drownings.
“The coastline is very densely populated,” Benjamin said, “and it’s a tourist destination. … It’s 300 miles long from north to south and 118 miles wide from east to west, and the wind over the water creates dangerous currents. So it’s the winds that create the dangerous currents.”
Due to under-reporting, misreporting or non-reporting of drownings, current statistics could be even higher, Benjamin said.
The dangerous currents in the Great Lakes are caused by the winds and are often difficult to detect. The current channels open and close, creating what are known as flash rip currents.
Where: Our guide to the 12 beaches on Lake Michigan: swimming, accessibility and additional adventures.
The Surf Rescue project categorizes wind direction into three directions: onshore, sideshore and offshore. In the Great Lakes, wind directions also often combine, which can lead to unsafe conditions.
Taking these statistics into account, The Tribune has compiled a list of rules of conduct for swimming in the lake.
Do this: Wear a life jacket
If you wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket, you have a 99% chance of survival, Benjamin said. It’s also important to wear a properly fitting life jacket because if the size is not right, it can put you at risk of drowning, especially if the life jacket is too big.
Do not: Use swimming aids
Swimming aids such as floaties or inflatables are not allowed on beaches with lifeguards. While on a swimming aid, the wind can change and push people out further than expected. Additionally, inflatables such as armbands or water wings can deflate, slip, restrict arm movement and give children and their guardians a false sense of security, according to the American Pool website.
Do this: Watch for small children
Although a wave breaking at 2 feet is safe for adults, it can be dangerous for children. If a child is knocked over by a 2-foot wave, he or she will not be able to get up for the entire cycle, as a wave breaks every three seconds.
Don’t: Go out if there is a sandbank
While sandbars fill quickly, waves breaking over a sandbar are an indication that a surf current is forming.
“Rip currents form when waves break over a sandbar near the shore, causing water to pile up between the breaking waves and the beach,” says an article about rip currents on Michigan State University’s website.
Do: Pay attention to the flags displayed
In national parks where lifeguards are not present, a flag system is used to indicate safe swimming conditions. Benjamin explained what each colored flag indicates about water levels and overall safety. A green flag indicates calm conditions and waves of zero to two feet. A yellow flag indicates medium risk and waves of two to four feet. Dangerous rip currents are also forming. A red flag indicates highly dangerous waves of four feet or more and that dangerous rip currents are definitely present. Paying attention to the flags is important enough, but some beaches also impose a $500-$1,000 fine if you’re caught ignoring a posted flag.
Don’t: Eat shortly before swimming
If you think there is a risk of rip currents, avoid eating a large meal before swimming. According to NBC News, the risk of cramping after eating is very low for recreational swimmers. If you plan to swim more than 100 yards, eating a large meal beforehand is not recommended, as it can cause cramping and even vomiting.
Do it: Turn, hover and follow
If you get caught in a rip current, Benjamin recommends the “flip, float and follow” method. If you get caught in a rip current, start by turning onto your back and floating with your mouth above the water. This strategy gives someone stuck in the lake a few moments to calm down, signal for help, or plan an escape strategy. Benjamin explained that people who get caught in a rip current sometimes panic and use all their energy to get out of the water. In other words, don’t fight the current, swim with it.
Don’t: Rely on the weather app to predict all conditions
The National Weather Service’s warnings may not apply to your beach day, as the weather service often makes blanket statements. Benjamin stressed the importance of paying attention to local conditions and asking lifeguards, if they are present, for more information.
Do this: Bring a buddy
If you swim with a partner, there is a greater chance that someone will be nearby who knows if you are caught in a current, which reduces the risk of panicking. It also makes it easier to call a lifeguard for help or, at beaches where lifeguards are present, to lay out a life preserver to hold on to.
Don’t: Swim near a pier
Piers almost always have a structure current that can create very strong currents, especially when combined with other currents. According to Michigan State, they can cause swimmers to drift into an area where there is no clear path to safety.
Do: Drink plenty of water. Don’t: Go into the water drunk.
If you go into the water while drunk, your reaction time may be delayed and you risk drowning.
“Spending time in the hot sun can increase the effects of these substances on your judgment,” says a Henry Ford College article titled “How to Enjoy the Great Lakes Safely.”
Henry Ford College also recommends that beachgoers drink plenty of water and drink electrolytes instead of alcohol.
Video: New remote-controlled lifeguard device EMILY in action
Watch a demonstration of a remote-controlled lifeguard device called EMILY as Silver Beach County Park Head Lifeguard Mia Wurster explains the use and benefits of the new device.
What is a swimmer?
Eighty-five percent of Americans would say they can swim, but when tested, only 56 percent of self-proclaimed swimmers could master five basic skills that would save their lives in the water. The most difficult skill on the test was swimming 25 yards. Benjamin said the minimum definition of a swimmer should be someone who can swim 100 yards non-stop.
“People often say, ‘I can swim, my kids can swim,’ and then they think they don’t have to worry about drowning,” Benjamin said. “But that’s just not the case.”
Surf backflow vs. surf backflow
The terms “rip tide” and “rip current” should not be used synonymously.
“A surf current is a special type of current associated with the rapid movement of tidal water through inlets and mouths of estuaries, bays, and harbors,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explained in a post about currents.
Typically, backcurrents pull people away from the shore, but unlike undercurrents, they do not pull them underwater.
“A surf backwash is a type of water current that can occur near beaches with breaking waves,” the Henry Ford College article states. “It is a strong, localized, and narrow current that moves directly away from the shore and cuts through the breaking waves, like a river flowing into the sea.”
What are the signs of a backwash?
When there are waves breaking on shore, dangerous currents are already present. While it’s important to pay attention to changes in the water, you shouldn’t rely on your eyesight to keep you safe because if you get caught in a rip current, you won’t see it, according to Henry Ford College.
Email Tribune writer Rose Androwich at [email protected].
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