The waves are far out, but dangerous
Tides on a beach appear soothing and calming in a dusky setting. The rhythmic motion of waves drawing backward to the sea and then following up seems quiet until, at one point, you have to ask yourself, “Where did the waves go?” because those tides seem to recede very suddenly far away. You then give it no second thought and run and look for an elevated place as quickly as possible.
This seemingly insane action is simple; the unnaturally far receding of tides usually means that that wave will soon return, aiming to reach equally far on land, like a slingshot, when you pull a stone backward to shoot it even farther away. These conditions might even result in a tsunami or a flash flood situation.