Beach Safety

Weather
On a day out at the beach we hope for sunny, calm weather. But as we all know this is often not the case! When the wind picks up it creates potential dangers to people on the beach, especially those in the sea. Rips are strong currents in the sea and can whisk swimmers from shallow waters to more dangerous depths. They are found mainly around piers and man made structures, so it is a sensible idea to discourage children from swimming there. It is also important to keep an eye on tides and waves, if you notice the waves getting bigger and faster it is advisable to keep children out of the sea as the waves may potentially become dangerous.
 When we are lucky enough to catch a sunny day it is the sun itself that becomes the danger. Children need to keep topped up with sun cream and wear sun hats and sun glasses to  protect them. Reapplying sun cream throughout the day can become a hassle, especially when the little ones are in and out of the sea and covered in sand! So an alternative is to bring along a beach shelter. I find this is a fantastic way to protect the kids from the sun while they’re playing. It also comes in handy for feeding time and getting dressed at the end of the day! Playing at the beach can become tiring so many adults like to sun bathe, and often fall asleep! If young children want to nap during the day, lying them down in a beach shelter means they are protected from the sun and won’t burn. The beach shelter also offers you some privacy as well as a checkpoint for children to look out for so they don’t wander off and get lost.

Sea
When kids are playing in the sea, the older they get the more they want to explore! They may have snorkels or inflatables to play with, which needless to say will make the sea a lot of fun, but as always safety must come first! If your children are off snorkelling they need to be aware of other people in the sea. It is important to look out for boats, mainly small ones and even inflatable boats that are coming into shore. This is because when you are under the water snorkelling, the people on the boats will not see you, and they may not spot your snorkel poking out the see if they are close to you! Colliding with a boat in the sea could be a very dangerous accident, to avoid this as well as children keeping an eye out themselves, they should take a friend or parent to supervise and warn incoming boats if they are too close to a snorkeler. On the other hand, if your children are playing with inflatables and have a boat of their own, they need to be on the look out for other swimmers and snorkelers. Going out to sea with your children  to pull the boat along is a sensible idea as they can keep a look out and steer or stop the boat to avoid colliding with other sea users. This is also beneficial if the winds pick up and the sea becomes choppy, an adult can pull the boat to shore and avoid leaving children stranded in the boat if they were on their own.


Sharp objects
At the beach there can be lots of hidden items under the sand, such as litter and other sharp objects! It is recommended that you check the area you are going to sit at before you set up wind breakers and blankets, to ensure there are no immediate dangers lurking under the surface of the sand. You may want to take along beach shoes for young children which will protect their feet if they do tread on anything sharp and they can also go in the sea with them, so they can be very practical! Rocks can be potential dangers at the beach and if children want to go climbing you should inspect the area first to ensure the rocks are not slippery or loose. Children need to be supervised at all times  as many aspects of the beach pose threats and dangers, as long as you are aware you will be able to react should anything happen to your child. It is a good idea to take along a first aid kit to the beach, this means you can treat any injuries immediately as help may be in the town or across the other side of the beach. You should also be stocked up on bottles of water. Not only to keep you and your family hydrated, but to clean wounds or rinse eyes should sand get in them. These are just a few handy items that could come in very useful throughout your day at the beach!

Sea creatures and animals
There is a lot of marine life to explore at the beach and this is  a great learning experience for young children, meeting new species of animals they have not heard of before! There are lots of harmless animals and creatures that kids can look at in rock pools and on the shore, but there are also some dangerous creatures that kids and adults need to be aware of! Crabs are fairly harmless to look at, but make sure children know not to touch, poke or pick up any crab like creatures! They may become irritated if they are disturbed, which may cause them to pinch or scratch. When going in the sea for a paddle or a swim, jellyfish and weever fish are the ones to be mindful of. Again, if you spot these creatures, keep yourself and children away and avoid touching them as they do sting. Not disturbing animals should keep you safe, but it is best to move away from the area in which they are just to be on the safe side! Off the beach, out of the sea and in the air, seagulls! Whenever you go to the beach you will see lots of seagulls flying around and landing on the beach on the hunt for food! They can be quite intimidating as they are often happy to fly right up and snatch food from you and your family. This is where the beach shelter comes in handy again, giving you some privacy and protection to eat in peace. They also may harbour germs as no one knows where they have been or what they have been picking up, so it is important children don’t try to touch them. Also, feathers lying on the beach from the birds are best left alone, again to avoid contaminating any germs.

Lifeguards
When choosing which beach to visit it is important to ensure the beach is patrolled by lifeguards. This way, you know should anything happen to a member of your party, there is a professional near by to assist. On the beach you may spot a few different flags, these are indicators to the conditions and the people who may be on the beach, so you may want to refresh your memory on the flag codes and teach your children what they mean so they can stay safe too.
Red and yellow flags indicate it is a lifeguard area. This means children are safe to swim in the sea, as well as use inflatables and body boards.
Black and white chequered flags is for surfers and kayaks along with other non powered craft. You should never swim in an area with this flag.
Orange windsocks indicate offshore or strong winds, so you should never use inflatables when the sock is flying.
A red flag means danger! Never go swimming in the water when the red flag is up, regardless of the circumstances.

Strangers
Especially when the weathers nice, beaches can be heaving with tourists. This can pose a big threat for your children and makes it very important for you to keep an eye on them at all times! The majority of people you meet at the beach will be friendly, young families similar to your own, however these people are all strangers and even if someone appears friendly and harmless, they may have other intensions. Make sure your children know exactly where you are situated and ensure there is a recognisable checkpoint for them to look out for, for example, tie a flag around the post of your windbreaker, or take along a brightly coloured beach shelter that is easily identified. If older children want to go off and explore make sure they go with someone else and set some rules for how far they can go and what time they should come back. It is wise to allow them to go as far as a point you can clearly see, so you can still watch them from a distance. Children get told a lot about not talking to strangers, and a day out at the beach is another chance to reinforce this important rule! The safety of our children is extremely important, so ensuring they know how to stay safe as well as you knowing how to keep them safe is essential before heading out for a day at the beach!