99TravelSafe.com
39 - Beach and Ocean Safety
The Website For The Smart and Savvy Traveler
PROTECT your skin: Sunlight contains two kinds of UV rays –
UVA increases the risk of skin cancer, skin aging, and other skin diseases.
While UVB causes sunburn and can lead to skin cancer.
Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear a sunscreen with a sun protection factor containing a high rating such as 15.
Drink plenty of water regularly and often even if you do not feel thirsty. Your body needs water to keep cool.
Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you feel good briefly but make the heat's effects on your body worse. This is especially true with beer, which dehydrates the body.
Watch for signs of heat stroke: Heat stroke is life-threatening. The victim's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly.
Wear eye protection: Sunglasses are like sunscreen for your eyes and protect against damage that can occur from UV rays. Be sure to wear sunglasses with labels that indicate that they absorb at least 90 percent of UV sunlight.
Wear foot protection. This prevents you from getting your feet burned from the sand or cut from glass in the sand.
Respect other beach patrons and remember your beach manners.
No beach fires except in designated areas - fire residue and superheated sand can severely burn bare feet - use a barbeque that is elevated off the sand
When in water stay within the designated swimming area, ideally within the visibility of a lifeguard.
Do NOT swim alone ever!
Check the surf conditions before you enter the water. Check to see if a warning flag is up or check with a lifeguard forwater conditions, beach conditions, or any potential hazards.
Stay away from piers, pilings, and diving platforms when in the water.
Keep a lookout for aquatic life. Water plants and animals may be dangerous.
Avoid patches of plants. Leave animals alone.
Make sure you always have enough energy to swim back to shore.
Do NOT try to swim AGAINST a current if caught in one. Swim gradually out of the current, by swimming ACROSS it. This might save your life one day!
Rely on your swimming ability rather than flotation devices.
Do not swim during thunderstorms or strong winds.
Do not dive into unknown water or into shallow breaking waves.
Stay out of the "surf zone" where waves break. Waves are their most forceful here, and even a small wave can lift you up and throw you into the sand.
Report hazardous conditions to lifeguards or other beach management personnel.
Never throw sand and always fill in holes before you leave the beach.
Obey all warning signs and flags. When a RED flag is flying, swimming is prohibited. A YELLOW flag indicates dangerous conditions.
Supervise children at all times.
Never FAKE actions or calls for help.
When in trouble, signal a lifeguard by shouting "HELP" or waving your hands.
If you or someone in your group gets lost, always find the nearest lifeguard.
Follow the advice of the lifeguards. They are trained in beach and water safety. Respect their experience and judgment and NEVER interfere with their work.
Tragic water accidents happen quickly. The most common reason for aquatic mishaps is a lack of safety knowledge.
Do not rely on flotation devices, such as rafts, you may lose them in the water.
Protect your head, neck, and spine - don't dive head first into unfamiliar waters - dive feet first, first time
Swim PARALLEL to shore if you wish to swim long distances
Scuba dive only if you are trained and certified - and within the limits of your training
No glass containers at the beach - broken glass and bare feet don't mix
Stay clear of coastal bluffs, they can collapse and cause injury
Never turn your back to the ocean - you may be swept off coastal bluffs or tide pool areas and into the water by waves that can come without warning