3 Tips For Staying Safe At An Unfamiliar Beach
Regardless of what time of year it is, there’s nothing more relaxing than taking a trip to the beach. Depending on where you live, this might be a big trip or a small trip, but the experiences you can have on the beach with the people you love can be memories that you cherish for a lifetime. However, if you have a bad experience here, you might not feel that the beach is necessarily as calming and welcoming as it once was. So to help ensure this doesn’t happen to you, here are three tips for staying safe when you’re visiting an unfamiliar beach on your travels.
Read The Signs
If you don’t know much about the area you’re visiting or never have been to this particular beach before, it’s going to be very important that you pay attention to any signs or flags that are in the vicinity. Certain signs or flags will mean certain things that are meant to help keep you safe and aware of what’s currently going on at or near beach.
For example, Kate Morin, a contributor to Greatist.com, shares that red flags mean that there’s a strong surf or current that could be dangers. If there are two of those red flags, that beach is closed due to this danger. Yellow flags mean that there’s moderate danger with the surf or currents, and green flags indicate the the ocean is clear and calm that day. If you see purple or blue flags, that often means that marine life has been spotted nearby, so make sure you take the necessary precautions here.
Watch Out For Tides and Currents
Depending on what beach you’re visiting and what the tides, currents, and weather are like, you might need to be extra careful when swimming in the water that day. According to Reader’s Digest, rip currents and riptides are currents under the water that are often much stronger than you are and can quickly get you into a situation that you don’t want to be it. This type of water can make it hard to stay afloat or maneuver yourself in the water, which can put your life in a lot of danger. If you ever find yourself stuck in a rip current, try to swim parallel with the coast until you’ve gotten out of these currents and can safely make it back to shore.
Take Extra Precaution When Drinking Alcohol
Water is an element that you don’t really want to mess around with. To keep yourself safe, it’s wise to keep your faculties about you. As a part of this, Ravneet Ahluwalia, a contributor to the Independent, recommends that you don’t drink heavily when you’re at the beach. This can lower your inhibitions and put you as risk of getting into a situation that could be very dangerous for you and others.
If you’ll be heading to a new beach soon, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you stay safe and have fun.
