Beach Safety

When going to the beach look out for the lifeguards.  They look for the safest places for you to swim and mark them with flags.  Do you know what the flags mean?

 IF there are two red and yellow flags flying on the beach you should swim between them.  The lifeguard has seen this is the safest place to swim and will be looking out for you. No surfing is allowed in this area.

If a red flag is flying it means the water is dangerous.  Do not enter as strong currents could pull you out to sea.

A black and white squared flag is not used in Jersey, but you may see it on holiday in England.  It means it is a surfing area.

Do you know which Jersey beaches have lifeguard 
                   cover?  In 2009 they were very busy...they gave;

• advice to 2,644 people
• 843 warnings
• delt with 33 lost and found chidlren
• assisted with 24 rescues - all took place outside their patrolled areas

                   Click on the lifeguard to find out more!

 So, are you ready to go to the beach now?  Are you sure? Got everything you need? Checked everything and told someone?

Click here for your beach check

Click here for your rock pooling check

Not all of Jersey's beaches have lifeguard cover. 

Click here to find out which ones do.
So, even if there are lifeguards around, you still need to check out the water conditions before you or your children go in.  That's looking out for big surf and rip currents.

So, what's a rip current?

Rip currents are currents of water moving away from shore. The strongest rip currents can attain speeds reaching 8 feet per second; this is faster than an Olympic swimmer can sprint!

If caught in a rip current:

• Remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.
• Never fight against the current. Think of it like a treadmill that cannot be turned off, which you need to step to the side of.
• Swim out of the current in a direction following the shoreline.
• When out of the current, swim at an angle--away from the current--towards shore.
• If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.
• If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving your arm and yelling for help. 

Beach Top Tips

1. Watch your kids - don't let them swim alone
2. Teach your children to swim
3. Swim in designated areas - between the red and yellow flags
4. Check the water conditions
5. If your kids boogieboard get them fins and a leash too
6. Protect your kids skin - use suncream SPF 30 plus, limit sun esposure between 11 & 3
7. Obey the flags, warning signs and lifeguards