Rough surf, rip currents continue at Jersey beaches

Beach goers will find rough surf this weekend along the Jersey Shore.

Heavy surf crashes onto the rocks near the beach in Asbury Park (Jonathan Carbonaro, Townsquare Media NJ)

Strong currents that churned up the ocean on Thursday will continue today creating a moderate risk of rip currents. "This is probably the most extreme conditions we've seen this summer," Captain Townsend of the Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol told NBC 10. Swimmers were allowed in the ocean up to their knees at the Harvey Cedars beach.

The risk of strong rip currents could continue throughout the weekend along the Jersey Shore. If you find yourself caught in a rip current, some advice to follow.

Don't fight the current. It's a natural treadmill that travels an average speed of 1-2 feet per second, but has been measured as fast as 8 feet per second—faster than an Olympic swimmer.
Relax and float to conserve energy. Staying calm may save your life.
Do NOT try to swim directly into to shore. Swim parallel to the shoreline until you escape the current's pull. When free from the pull of the current, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.
If you feel you can't reach shore, relax, face the shore, and call or wave for help. Remember: Wave and yell...swim parallel

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection closed Beachwood Borough Beach West on Thursday because a water sample did not meet quality standards. Several other Ocean County beaches had also been closed but were reopened upon the discovery of a DEP lab test error according to NJ.com.