everyday of the week individuals can be seen playing footvolley LINK, altinha LINK, and going for a refreshing swim on one of rio's many city beaches - alongside all of the desirable aspects of the beach, individuals need to be mindful of the power of waves on particular days - depending on the tides, and size of the waves, strong undercurrents can be present in the water.

strong currents are not easily visualized from shore, so visitors should always be mindful of several considerations before entering the water - the amount of people swimming is always a good indicator of whether or not it is safe to swim, while most importantly, if red flags are present on the beach individuals should not go for a swim - these flags indicate strong currents and are purposely placed depending on tide patterns.

visitors not familiar with ocean patterns will soon learn that waves and strong currents change on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis - one day at ipanema may host large waves and forceful currents, while the next day might host crystal clear water with no waves - if individuals are drinking they should not go swimming based on the risk of drowning.