Sandy shaded his eyes and peered over at the spray. He nodded silently.
“Well, the current will try to pull you over to those rocks on the right. You mustn’t let that happen. ’Cause if you get dumped too near the rocks, there’s an undertow that’ll grab you.”
“Won’t it carry me along through the channel?”
Doug shook his head. “No, it won’t. It’ll tangle you up in the rocks. They look solid from here, but they’re not. There are all sorts of crevices and things, worn out by the water pounding against them. That’s why it’s so dangerous.”
There was a puzzled look on Sandy’s face. “I don’t get it.”
“The crevices,” Doug explained patiently, “can catch you just like a trap. You can put your foot in one of them and never get it out. It’ll hold you under the water until you—” He faltered and looked away.
Sandy nodded in grim understanding. “How do I keep away from them?”
“When you enter the channel stay over to the left as far as you can. Keep steering to the left no matter what the current does. If you’re over far enough, you’ll make it with about three feet to spare. Think you’ve got it?”
“I think so. Let’s get this thing over with.”
“You’re sure you’re all set?” Mike asked anxiously.