A trip to the beach with the kids should be one of the most fun days of the year. However, the beach can be a dangerous place — it is full of hazards ranging from damaging UV rays to powerful waves. Take the following precautions to make sure that your day at the beach is not ruined.
Swim near a lifeguard
Even strong swimmers may miss warning signals that lifeguards pick up, and Greatist reports that most drownings occur in places where the beach is unsupervised. By always swimming close to a lifeguard, you can prevent a serious accident.
Stay away from rip currents
Being caught in a rip current, where the waves pull you farther out into the ocean, is a scary experience. Stay away from any choppy waters near the shore, as this is often a sign of a rip current. You should also teach your kids about how to react in advance just in case they do get pulled out:
- Relax, try to swim in horizontal to the shore until you are free of the current, and then move in a diagonal line toward the shore.
- If the tide pulls you out of your comfort zone, tread water and wave your arms to alert the lifeguard.
Avoid sun sickness
Too many hours in the sun can lead to a number of illnesses, including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and sun poisoning. Rest in the shade whenever possible and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
The beach and sun safety
Sunburn is not only painful the day after, severe burns can increase your risk of skin cancer in later life, warns WebMD. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and reapply every two hours.
UV rays are particularly intense at the beach as they reflect off the smooth surfaces of sand and water. To keep their eyes safe from permanent and temporary damage, make sure your kids always wear a pair of shades. You can find a number of styles perfect for the beach in the Real Kids collection.