Caught in a rip current? Here's how to survive. First, relax and stay calm. Float to conserve your energy. Swim out of the current by following the shoreline or breaking waves. Once you are out of the current, swim at an angle toward the beach. Do not swim against the current, this will exhaust you. If you can't reach the shore, call out and wave for help. Go to weather.gov/beach for more info.