Water safety
(Here is the best water safety hints from online and I put them altogether)
Swimming Safety Hints
| 1. Always swim or surf at places patrolled by surf lifesavers or lifeguards. |
| 2. Swim between the red and yellow flags. They mark the safest area to swim. |
| 3. Always swim under supervision or with a friend. Never swim alone. Watch out for the "dangerous too's"--too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity and too SOBER. |
| 4. Read and obey the signs. |
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5. Don't swim directly after a meal and rely on your swimming ability rather
than a flotation device |
| 6. Don't swim under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance, and coordination, affects your swimming and diving skills, and reduces your body's ability to stay warm. |
| 7. If you are unsure of surf conditions, ask a lifesaver or lifeguard. Stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather. Know local weather conditions. Make sure the water and weather conditions are safe. Because water conducts electricity, it is wise to stop swimming, boating or any activities on the water as soon as you see or hear a storm. Also, heavy rains can make certain areas dangerous. |
| 8. Never run and dive into unknown water or into shallow breaking waves. Even if you have checked before, conditions can change. |
| 9. If you get into trouble in the water, don't panic. Raise your arm for help, float and wait for assistance. |
| 10. Float with a current or undertow. Stay calm. Don't try to swim against it. Signal for help and wait for assistance. Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies. |
| Beware
the sneaker wave They're called sneaker waves because they appear without warning, often surging high up on the beach with deadly force, and are impossible to predict. How to play it safe: Never turn your back on the ocean. Waves on ledge: These are large waves originating from deep water breaking on rock ledges. However, this condition can occur even when the water appears to be calm. Be very cautious when walking along rocky coastlines where waves are breaking. Rocks become slippery and are sharp, abrasive lava stone. Lava is very porous and it crumbles easily. Don't ever go into the wet rocky zone. The ocean is unpredictable and has been known to wash people away. Don't put yourself in a position where you could be swept away. Please Heed all posted warnings. Your life could depend on it.
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| Watch
those logs The ocean is strong enough to pick up even the biggest log and plop it down on top of you. Some logs may look small, but even the tiny ones can be waterlogged and weigh tons. How to play it safe: If you see a log in the surf or on wet sand, stay off it. |
| Look
out for deep water & strong currents The deeper the water, the greater the risk of falling victim to an undertow (the seaward pull of receding waves breaking onshore). These currents can swiftly sweep unwary beachcombers and waders off their feet and out to sea. How to play it safe: Stay in shallow water. Strong current: These are swift moving channels of water against which it is difficult to swim. Strong currents frequently accompany high surf and rapid tide changes and can be recognized as a turbulent channel of water between areas where waves are breaking. When caught in a strong current � Try to keep a level head and don't panic. Wave one or both hands in the air, and scream or call for help. Swim diagonally to the current, not against it. When a wave comes up on the beach and breaks, the water must run back down to the sea. This is undertow. It sucks at your ankles from small waves, but in heavy surf the undertow can knock you off your feet and carry you offshore. If you're carried out, don't resist. Let the undertow take you out until it subsides. It will only be a few yards. The next wave will help push you shoreward again.
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| Know
the tides Incoming tides isolate rocks from headlands and the shore. Avoid the temptation of strolling out to an interesting rock without knowing when the tide rolls back in. Free tide tables are readily available at state park offices, information centers and many shops and motels. How to play it safe: Stay off rocks and small, enclosed beaches. A backwash current on a steeply sloping beach can pull you toward deeper water, but its power is swiftly checked by incoming waves. To escape this current, swim straight toward shore if you're a strong swimmer. If you're not, don't panic; wait and float until the current stops, then swim in. The littoral current is a "river of water" moving up or down the shoreline parallel to the beach. It is created by the angled approach of the waves. In stormy conditions, this current can be very powerful due to high wave energy. Rip currents often occur where there's a break in a submerged sandbar. Water trapped between the sandbar and the beach rushes out through the breach, sometimes sweeping swimmers out with it. You can see a rip; it s choppy, turbulent, often discolored water that looks deeper than the water around it. If you are caught in a rip, don't try to swim against the current. Instead, swim across the current, parallel to the shore, and slowly work your way back to the beach at an angle. Try to remain calm. Panic will only sap the energy you need to swim out of the rip
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| Always
assume high waves can reach you Tides and waves can sweep over rocks, jetties and headlands, knocking you off and carrying you out to sea. How to play it safe: Assume nothing is "high enough" and avoid exposed rocks, jetties and headlands during strong wave action periods (like during and after storms). High surf: Large powerful waves are generated by winds and storms at sea sometimes thousands of miles from the Hawaiian Islands. If you're uncertain of your abilities, don't go into the ocean during high surf, heed all posted high surf warnings.
If a wave crashes down on you while you are surfing or swimming, and you find yourself being tumbled in bubbles and sand like a sheet in a washing machine, don't try to struggle to the surface against it. Curl into a ball, or just go limp and float. The wave will take you to the beach, or you can just swim to the surface when it passes.
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| Take
care around high, steep cliffs Assume that all cliff edges are unstable. Wet trails or soft sand and earth can make for unstable footing. Rocks can be slippery even when it isn�t raining. How to play it safe: Make sure you wear proper footwear, and stick to the trails. Stay behind guard fences and railings, and don't get too close to the edge. |
| Heads
up Standing at the base of an oceanside cliff can be dangerous, especially if it has an overhang. In some places, winter storms and high waves have eroded the shoreline, increasing the chance of collapsing landforms and slides. How to play it safe: Beware of falling rocks, and don't climb on bluffs and eroding hillsides. Don't walk along the base of cliffs unless absolutely necessary. Sharp coral: Many beaches have sharp coral reefs close to the shoreline. Use caution when swimming in shallow reef areas. Should you be injured, see a lifeguard for minor first aid assistance. Should coral become embedded deeply see your doctor as soon as possible to have it removed. Deep cuts should be attended to by a physician to avoid the risk of infection. If you're tide pooling or reef walking wear protective foot gear. |
(The water safety in
this page is the original work from: Red
Cross, Insiders, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association,
Surf Life Saving Australia, Oregon State Parks and Recreation.)
NB
Cool link, click here.
