Beach Safety Guide for Rip Currents

Rip Current Safety, please read!! . It’s my favorite time of year again....summer!☀️ For our family, that means more time at the beach!🤣🏝 At the beginning of each summer season, we sit down with our kids and go over beach safety rules, talk about what rip currents are and how to escape one. I’ve heard of too many tragic stories, that I feel like it’s important to have a quick review each year to keep our loved ones safe. Here’s our family guide to staying safe..... 1. Check the flags. You can go online, in advance, to check the flag color for that day or wait until you arrive at the beach. The flag color will be posted at each public beach access point (Green-low hazard, Yellow-medium hazard, Red-high hazard). 2. Never go in the water alone. If you find yourself in trouble, it’s important to have a buddy that can call for help. Drowning is silent. 3. Always go in the water with a boogie board or another floating device. If caught in a rip current, this could save your life. 4. If mom or dad, on shore, wave for you to come in or move to the right or left, listen right away. We may see something from shore that you can’t see while in the water. What is a rip current? It’s a strong, fast-moving channel of water, pushing away from the shore. It’s a way for the water to flow back into the ocean after a wave breaks on shore. How to spot one? They can be difficult to see, but typically they form where the water looks darker and waves are not forming. How to escape one? Swim parallel to the shoreline until you are out of the strong flow of water. Never swim against the current! You will tire out and put yourself in danger. If swimming parallel is too difficult, wait until the strong water current stops flowing away from shore. It may carry you out a ways, but just hang on to your floating device, it will eventually stop. When it does, swim parallel before making your way back to shore. Hope our family guide helps to keep your family safe this summer! Share this post with others and save it for future reference. Take care and enjoy those family beach trips!😉 💙 The Blondies