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Tips To Ensure Your Safety At The Beach
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I Love The Beach
One of my favorite things to do on a warm summers day is to take a well deserved break to the beach to relax in the sun. No matter what mood I'm in the sound of the crashing waves has a calming effect on me that brings a peace beyond imagination like being swept away into paradise.
I love the sun, the sand and the water. But while that is all lovely, the beach can be a hazard zone if you are not prepared. To ensure your safety at the beach always remember to follow a few simple safety tips so your day at the beach can be a fun time for you, your friends, and family.
Tips for a Safe Day at the Beach
Upon entrance to the beach read and obey the safety signs. The signs will tell you where the safest spots are to swim and will point out any potential hazards on the beach.
Protect your feet from the hot sand. Wear flip flops or other beach shoes.
Always swim near a lifeguard where you can be noticed if something should happen. This is especially so if you have children.
Check the area for broken glass and other sharp objects that may be hidden in the sand. Your bare feet will love you for it.
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Slop on the sunscreen. Choose a sunblock with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. These are the ingredients that will block both the ultraviolet-B (UVB) and ultraviolet-A (UVA) rays. Most sunscreen lotions only block UVB rays so read the ingredients carefully. Also choose an SPF of 15 or higher. Children should be using an SPF of at least 40. Reapply your sunscreen every two hours. Even people who don't burn are at risk for developing skin cancer (melanoma).
Take extra protection between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the sun is most intense. When I was a kid my mother didn't have to worry as much as parents do today because the ozone layer hadn't thinned out yet like it has today. Take extra protection with hats, shirts and umbrella's during the hottest hours. Take advantage of the shade whenever you can.
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Beach Safety
It's important to protect your eyes.
Sunglasses are like sunscreen for your eyes. You will need a pair of
sunglasses with protection built into the lenses that absorb at least
90% of the UV sunlight.
Children need to be carefully supervised by an adult at all times.
Don't leave it up to the lifeguard to watch your children. I know it is
exhausting trying to keep an eye on your children all day long. Anyone
can grab a child in moments without you even noticing. Bring a friend
along who will help you out so you can take a break throughout the day.
If you have children who don't know how to swim do not allow them to go
out beyond their knees. Teach them or get them to swimming lessons as
soon as you can. It only takes a second for a child to drown. It
happened in my family to my cousins child while mom was talking to the
pool repairman. You can read about it here.
Never swim alone. Water conditions can be unpredictable. If you get in trouble wave your hand in the air and yell for help.
Never rescue anyone on your own. Tell the lifeguard. If there are no lifeguards on duty get on your cell phone and call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.
Have plenty of water handy
or fluid that doesn't cause dehydration. The sun and wind can dehydrate
even if it's not real hot. Drink often even if you're not thirsty.
Never drink alcohol and swim. The affect of alcohol will impair your better judgement and can lead you to unnecessary risk taking. If you must drink it's best to have your happy hour after you leave the beach.
Watch the tides direction
and stay away from the rip currents. If you do happen to get caught in
one don't panic and don't fight the current. You will only wear
yourself out. Swim parallel to the beach until you no longer feel
yourself being pulled. Tread water until someone comes to your rescue.
80% of lifeguard rescues and drowning deaths are due to rip currents.
Now that is something to pay attention to. It's best to stay away from
them.
Stay away from sharks. Of course you will. But still do not wear shiny jewelry or swim at dusk or the sharks may not stay away from you.
Beware
Don't bring anything of value with you to the beach. There are people who come to the beach to make you a victim of crime. Leave your valuables in the car, at home, or in your hotel room.
Preplan and have your medication with you if you have sever allergies, have a heart condition, are asmatic, or diebetic. Beware of medications that cause sun sensitivity.
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Nice hub Dottie, great reminders! Liked your other hubs too. Joining your fanclub and would like to invite you to join mine.
I once lost a watch at the beach...tsk tsk...but lesson learned. Thanks for all these reminders Dottie :)
I know you're thinking that you have to get your birthday hubs done so no beach for you right now compu-smart.
Your comment gave me a great idea if you really would like to get out to the beach. You do own a laptop, do you have a beach chair, and towel, voila that's all you need. Oh ya just one more thing, don't forget your plastic bag to put your laptop in to hide under your towel when you go for that nice long refreshing dip in the water! haha, thanks for that great idea, it's a good one!
Hi Dottie, I just hope by the time I get to hit the beach i will still remember these tips..
Ref your tip about "Don't bring anything of value with you to the beach"
My tip, for personal belongings safety, is I would always bury my belongings, cask, keys, camaras, etc in a bag in the sand, under my towel, and carefully remember the location just in case winds , hurricanes blow towels and chairs always..I always do this when camping or what ever and I have never lost or had any personal belongings lost or stolen!:)
Hi Lgali, I'm doing fine and you? Thanks for coming by :)
Elynjo thanks for that coppertone tip. I have never used a spray sunblock but would love to try. Thanks for stopping by.
santoion thank you and you're very welcome!
Very good hub.Thank You !
I love Coppertone Continuous Sunblock Spray SPF 30, it is effective.
Dottie1 - How are you doing very nice hub..Long time you did not visit my hub thnaks
Hi packerpack, I'm glad that this hub made you think about protection when choosing suntan lotion. That is very important today because of the thinning ozone layer and also people with fair skin and especially children with young sensitive skin need to be very careful in the sun. Thanks for your visit. Enjoy the beach this summer while staying safe!
Good check list before to beaches. When we think about safety on beaches we generally think about the precaution that we should take while dealing with water but never do we (at least me) think about the protection we should take while choosing sunscreen lotion. The best was to avoid going out between 10 to 3 or taking extra protection during that time. Good one!
Thank you Jerilee for the great reminder. I did not know that melanoma is most likely to occur on your feet. My mother and brother-in-law have both had it on their face and it was detected early enough so no radiation just surgery! Thanks for your comments.
Shirley, bakini? what's that? Just as I am typing a big crash outside and some fireworks, did you send that storm down my way?
I'm going to close down too. Stay safe and don't go in the water, angel!
Frogyfish with a name like yours I would think you'd love the beach. Well anyways, thanks for stopping by on dry land!
Charia thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed your summer though it is about to end.
VioletSun thank you for the tip on rings. I was thinking of necklaces and bracelets but never thought about my ring.
Thank you countrywoman. The water is very cold at the ocean where I live and doesn't warm up until swimming season is about to end. Thanks for the visit and the thumbs.
Hi ripplemaker, that sounds GREAT, a dip together at the beach. I just got back from the Philippine beaches via google search and youtube. How MAGNIFICENT are your beaches, when I see a palm tree, I'm in heaven!
We do take many of these safety tips for granted but one I will NEVER forget is to apply sunscreen. The sun for me where I live is not too strong but when I went to a tropical beach, I fried into a 3rd degree burnt lobster and had to go to the hospital and get a shot in my butt! OUCH! Never again, I've learned my lesson well!
But Dottie.....where's the picture of you in your bikini??
Great tips for beach time here, Dottie! I've ignored the good advice about having footwear on - bad idea. There are so many things to step on that are hiding in the sand and it always either hurts or stinks. :)
Speaking of safety, I have to quickly finish up and shut down my computer. We have what the weather people are referring to as a "serious" storm moving in. Gee, don't ya hate insincere storms? :)
Thumbs up for you, Dottie Angel!
Great beach going reminders! Also don't forget to put sunscreen on the tops of your feet and replenish regularly. Few know that deadly melanoma skin cancer is mostly likely to occur on your feet. If you are vacationing, especially be aware that beaches at night might seem romantic but could make you a victim of crime.
Some wonderful tips. Here the water is still cold but I do like to go to the beach. Thumbs up for some excellent advice.
Dottie: Good tips, I didn't realize the one about the shiny objects as it attracts sharks. Good tip, because sometimes I leave on my rings when going into the ocean.
Summer is about to end in here but I'll make sure to remember these tips for the next summer. THanks!
It's been a very long time since I made it to a beach, but your suggestions are excellent!
HI Dottie, it's summer time here and the beaches are beckoning! LOL I wish you were here and we could all go for a dip. :-) This is a great safety hub...some of these reminders we take for granted. But it is always better to be careful than sorry. Thanks sis Dottie! Enjoy the wind and the breeze... :-)
Thanks Princessa. Children's skin is so sensitive and really needs that extra protection.
Great advice Dottie, especially regarding children and sun protection.
anglnwu, I'm right across the states from you on the east coast so I too have no more than 30 minutes to any beach. And we don't want to emerge from a good day at the beach looking like a lobster either. Thanks for stopping by.
Dottie, it's time to hit the beach again. Living in Southern California means you can go whenever--it's no more than 30 minutes to any beach. Thanks for the tips--we certainly don't want to emerge from a good day at the beach looking like a blistered bum.
Sunset San Diego 18 months ago
Awesome! Like it