Swimming condition
Swimming condition
If someone gets into a rip current and you have to help yourselves than it is clear that the condition in which you are directly determines the chance of survival. The following article is from zwem informatie en documentatie centrum.
This Cooper test for swimming clearly indicates the relationship between age and type of condition. The table gives distances that one in 12 minutes should be able to make.
This table looks converted to swim speed as follows :
|
Level of condition |
Age group |
|||||
|
13-19 |
20-29 |
30-39 |
40-49 |
50-59 |
||
|
Swimming speed in m/sec |
||||||
|
1. |
M |
<0,7 |
< 0,6 |
< 0,49 |
< 0,4 |
< 0,35 |
|
W |
< 0,6 |
< 0,4 |
< 0,35 |
< 0,28 |
< 0,21 |
|
|
2. |
M |
0,7-0,8 |
0,56-0,69 |
0,49-0,62 |
0,42-0,55 |
0,35-0,48 |
|
W |
0,56-0,69 |
0,42-0,55 |
0,35-0,48 |
0,28-0,42 |
0,21-0,35 |
|
|
3. |
M |
0,83-0,97 |
0,7-0,8 |
0,62-0,76 |
0,56-0,69 |
0,49-0,62 |
|
W |
0,7-0,8 |
0,56-0,69 |
0,49-0,62 |
0,42-0,55 |
0,35-0,48 |
|
|
4. |
M |
0,97-1,11 |
0,83-0,97 |
0,76-0,9 |
0,7-0,83 |
0,62-549 |
|
W |
0,83-0,97 |
0,7-0,83 |
0,62-0,76 |
0,56-0,69 |
0,49-0,62 |
|
|
5. |
M |
> 1,11 |
> 0,97 |
> 0,9 |
> 0,83 |
> 0,76 |
|
W |
> 0,97 |
> 0,83 |
> 0,76 |
> 0,7 |
> 0,63 |
|
A rip current can in the worst case reach a speed of 2 m/s. The table shows that swimming against a rip current is practically impossible. Also is the swimming behavior is of influence. At a rip current of 0.5 m/sec a very weak swimmer who swims 0.25 m/sec in 60 seconds will float 15 meters into the sea. An average swimmer of 50 years will be in the same situation and after ? minutes the first fatigue phenomena will appear. Hereafter referred to as the RID and followed by a possible drowning.
