I've never seen a significant rip tide during the winter in LM, but we do have them in the summer when you have the combination of steep beaches and larger surf. The steepness of the beach also strengthens the undertow. So, while you can swim laterally to escape the rip, you then have to overcome the undertow to get back to the beach. The best way is to use the power of the waves to push you to the point where you can stand until the next wave pushes you further forward. From personal experience, I've learned the lesson of swimming out too far for the current conditions.