A visit to the beach should be fun, but it can quickly turn tragic if you don't focus on safety. The United States Lifesaving Association explains accidental drowning is the third most common cause of accidental death for Americans of all ages. It is even more common in states with popular coastal beaches like Hawaii, California and Florida. You can beat the odds with commonsense beach swimming precautions.
Location
Choose a beach that has lifeguards and swim near a lifeguard station. The USLA advises you are five times more likely to drown at an unguarded beach. Stay within site of the lifeguard and respect swimming area boundaries that are marked with ropes or buoys. Wave and call for help to attract the lifeguard's attention as quickly as possible if you have trouble while swimming. Children should be closely supervised even when you are close to a lifeguard. They can get into deep water and drown quickly if someone is not monitoring them constantly.
Considerations
Learn to swim before visiting ocean beaches. They have more hazards than swimming pools because they are not limited in size and have natural hazards like rip currents, waves, sharks, jellyfish and other sea life. You need to be a competent, confident swimmer to stay safe in a beach environment. The idea of swimming on a deserted beach is romantic, but the USLA states you are safer when you swim around other people. Chose a populated area and never enter the water alone.
Misconceptions
Some people rely on rafts, inner tubes and other flotation devices while swimming in the ocean. The City of San Diego warns it is not reliable because you can lose them in deep water. Don't go into water that is over your head if you cannot swim, even if you have an inflated device. Wear a life jacket if you need reliable protection for yourself or a child.
Considerations
Alcohol can impair your judgment and cause you to forget or ignore beach swimming safety rules. The USLA warns it can also bring down your body temperature and interfere with your swimming skill. Don't drink on the beach if you plan to enter the water. Beware of prescription and nonprescription drugs as certain medications can also affect your mental state and make swimming dangerous. Never dive off a pier, inner tube or anything else when you don't know the water depth. You could injure yourself badly, or even die, if you hit the ocean floor in shallow water.
Warning
Rip currents are the biggest danger of swimming at ocean beaches. Eighty percent of ocean rescues occur because the swimmer gets caught in a rip current, according to the United States Lifesaving Association. The City of San Diego recommends avoiding areas where rip currents are present or swimming parallel to the shore if you get caught in one. You can swim toward the beach once you escape the pull.
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