The other 1% of the time is when you are close to the mouth of a bay or some other feature that creates a current independent of the dynamics in the surf zone. You'll know that's the case if the current stays strong after you're past the break. If it's too strong for you to swim against it, then you're in trouble and should start waving for help.
Rip tides pull out, so let them pull you past the break then swim side to side. You shouldn't need more than 15-20 min to get past the worst of it, and can work laterally to inbound waves.
We also saw lifeguards retrieve a drowned child. They worked on him for about fifteen minutes in front of the parents before stopping, and the ambulance took him away.
The beaches were marked with red flags as far as the eye could see, along with signs in English and Spanish clearly indicating that this meant swimming was prohibited, as it was unsafe. Many people paid no heed to the warnings.
The ocean doesn't give a shit about your life.
People will go swimming in the ocean and in all myriad of bays and estuaries that are more than capable of having enough surf to kill them depending on the weather. You just need to exercise good judgement about how much surf is too much.
It is fairly safe at most public beaches if: * you follow the posted signs for rules (e.g. where it's safe to dive, staying in marked areas), flags for current conditions * pay attention to weather conditions * know (roughly) when and how much of a change the tide will bring
Unfortunately, a significant number of people don't follow the rules, or underestimate the risk.
There is a reason many public beaches located within an urban center have lifeguards and patrols.
Mayo Clinic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0FH9b1LiwY
WebMD Spot the Drowning Person: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beNheoRRdKk
Another one is Bondi Beach - you can find episodes on YouTube. There are a bunch of examples of rescues and how little notice any of the people on the beach or other swimmers nearby give to people struggling.