I see that at Dam Neck more than I care to...even during rough surf conditions. It doesn't seem some parents even have a clue. The ocean is not a swim pool.
Yeah, I really became aware of how much power the water has when we were out with my daughter at the bay when she was 2. It was flat as a pancake, and the ripples reaching the shore were knocking her down. it's easy to forget how much power there is in the ocean even on a thigh high day because many of us are out in it so often.