Fun in the Water
Beach Safety
See our Lifeguard section for our flag warning system.
Sunburn
Sunburn is painful and increases your risk of skin cancer and premature aging of the skin. If you get too much exposure to the sun, it may take up to 24 hours before the full damage is visible. Sunburn can be avoided by taking a few simple steps.
- Apply sun-screen with the highest SPF factor.
- Sweat and saltwater tend to wash most sunscreen off. Get a formula that won't wash or rub off.
- Reapply sunscreen every few hours, or more frequently if you are swimming, sweating or toweling off.
- Wear sunglasses with UV protection.
- Wear a hat and a long sleeved shirt (remember that if you can see through the clothing the sun will also get through).
- Take extra precautions between 10am and 3pm when the sun's rays are most damaging.
- On cloudy or hazy days, the sun is still powerful, so don't skip the sun protection.
Dehydration
Dehydration can be a serious problem, so drink plenty of liquids. Alcholic beverages can impair your swimming skills and contribute to dehydration.
Rip Currents
Rip currents are narrow channels of water flowing out past the surf zone that can pull even strong swimmers into deep water beyond the offshore sand bar.
If caught in a rip current, do not panic! Try to escape a rip current by moving sideways across it; parallel to the shore. If the current is too strong, let it carry you further away from shore and it will weaken. Then swim back to shore at an angle away from the rip current.