Five Ocean Swimming Safety Tips

Ocean swimmers.

Even if you’ve gone swimming in open water like lakes before, the ocean is a different animal altogether. Between tide, undertow, and more dangerous predators, you need to be conscious of what you’re doing and understand the risks involved. That’s no reason to avoid swimming in the ocean altogether, but it does mean that you’ll want to be aware of some potential safety hazards and how to avoid them. Here are five ocean swimming safety tips.

Tip #1: Don’t swim near piers and other large objects.

Between tides, undertows, and waves, there’s a risk of being injured simply by swimming near large, hard objects. It’s not a good idea to swim near large rocks or piers because the ocean might slam you into them. If you don’t think this is a possibility, you probably haven’t been swimming in the ocean before. Respect its power and swim in soft, sandy areas.

Tip #2: Regularly check your position relative to the beach.

Lateral (side-to-side) and rip (heading out to sea) currents can change your position relatively quickly. The strong the water, the more often you should check your position relative to the beach. You can quickly find yourself hundreds of feet down the beach from your original location, possibly heading near some large, dangerous objects.

Tip #3: Swim with buddies.

Whether you’re swimming with family or friends, make sure you’re not swimming alone. When you swim with other people, you become aware of dangers earlier on because there are more of you, and there are people around to help you should anything happen.

Tip #4: Swim in stable, sunny weather.

When a storm rolls in, it’s time to get out of the water – the threat of lightning and unstable waves makes swimming far more dangerous. It’s best to swim when it’s a bright sunny day and the weather is stable. Be sure to keep up with weather reports so that you have an idea when the best swimming might be and when to avoid storms.

Tip #5: Never drink and swim.

Alcohol impairs your judgment, not to mention your essential bodily functions, so stay out of the water when you’re drinking. Even if you’ve “only had a few,” you might not be aware of the effects alcohol is having on your systems, not to mention the further effect that alcohol still absorbing into your bloodstream may have.

Photo Credits: batega

Originally posted 2009-09-14 03:28:53.

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