That said, if you do just let it drag you out it will mellow out eventually not far from the beach. For people that are panicking, it can be good to know you're not going to end up on the other side of the ocean if you just relax. The majority of rips aren't monsters and can be navigated quite easily by those who are comfortable. It's the panic of watching the beach get farther that causes people to keep swimming into the problem rather than away from it. So to elaborate on your good point: relax, start working your way up or down the beach, and focus not on getting to shore but on ducking the waves and navigating the water that you're currently in. It will feel like you're not making progress up the beach or out of the current, until suddenly you are.