The riptide information was a surprise to me since I thought the 'swim to the side' advice was sacrosanct, but apparently the best thing to do is float, conserve strength, and wait for the lifeguard--unless of course it's a small riptide in which case swimming to the side would work.
As for bears, I think it's best to always have a large pizza or subway sandwich in your backpack. If a bear threatens you, hand over the food--that usually placates them---lol--only kidding of course!