Last summer 54 drownings occurred along the Australian coast – all of them at locations unpatrolled by lifeguards or lifesavers. That’s an incredible statistic. The safest place to swim is always between the red and yellow flags, but the problem is that not all beaches have flags and even on patrolled beaches, the flags aren’t up all day long. So if you find yourself on an unpatrolled beach this summer, here are some important tips to help you keep safe.
First, always spend a few minutes when you arrive at the beach thinking about beach safety. Are there flags further down the beach? What are the conditions like – are the waves too big, are there any rip currents? Do you know what a rip is? Do you have a plan if anything goes wrong? Do you have phone reception? Is there an Emergency Response Beacon on the beach that you can contact emergency services on? Is there anyone else on the beach?
Second, look for rips. Our surf beaches have rip currents on them most of the time. Rips can quickly take you out into deeper water and are the main cause of beach drownings so if you’re not sure how to spot them, I highly encourage you to check out my website at www.scienceofthesurf.com which has videos about rips as well as a ‘Rip of the Month’ feature that has 180 pictures of rips! If you don’t get in a rip, you won’t drown in one so please educate yourselves and your family.
Third, if you do find yourself caught in a rip, or in trouble in the water, the best thing to do is to just float. This conserves your energy and allows you to signal for help by raising or waving your arm or calling for help. If there are no lifeguards or lifesavers around, get the attention of surfers who have a nice board you can hang onto. If there’s no one on the beach or in the water at all – well, you shouldn’t be swimming. If in doubt, don’t go out. And if you are not a good swimmer, never go in past waist depth and make sure your feet are always firmly on the sand.
Finally, if you do see someone in trouble in the water, even if it’s your child, don’t rush in to help them. Take 10 seconds to call for help, or get someone else to get help, and look for something on the beach that floats, like a boogie board or an esky. If you’re going to go in the water to help, you absolutely must bring something that floats.
Follow these tips and always think about beach safety and you’ll be fine. Or you can just swim between the flags at the nearest patrolled beach.
A new edition of Dr Rip’s Essential Beach Book is out now. Visit www.unsw.press/DrRip or Collins Booksellers Thirroul
