Summer’s coming, so naturally you’re getting ready for some beach time. You’ve found all of the beach gear in the garage and practiced your best gut suck in front of the mirror, determining it’s passably deceptive (it’s not). Now if you’re a parent, planning for a day on the shore includes buckets, pails, extra clothes for the kids, oil drums of SPF 4,974 sunscreen, snacks and everything that you need to avoid meltdowns. Remembering all of that is great, but the thing you need to keep in mind above all of the others is water safety for you and for your children. 

Allow me to tell you about the angriest I’ve ever been in my life. I was a lifeguard in Long Beach, NY and the ocean was particularly rough on this day (I know you’re thinking “But it’s NY! How rough can the ocean really get there?? Well, click this link to have a look. That’s about 100 yards from the spot I worked, so lesson one is don’t underestimate any body of water you plan on entering.)

On this particular day I had to go in for a rescue when a riptide broke down a sandbar where a large group of people had gathered. Almost everyone made it to the shore on their own except for the two small children I pulled out. They were brother and sister. He was 8 or 9 and she was maybe 11. When I returned them to land I had expected to see mom or dad waiting to hug them; relieved that their children were safe. They weren’t there. As a matter of fact, I had the kids take me all the way to the back of the beach where I found the mom….. sleeping…..with headphones on! She was completely oblivious to the fact that she had almost lost both of her children while she worked on her tan. Please don’t think I’m exaggerating. Her kids were at the very end of their struggle to stay afloat when I got to them. They were going to die.  I was furious at this person for being so careless when it came to the safety of her kids and I made sure that she knew it.

When you go to the beach (or anywhere) with your kids, YOU are the first and most important line of defense when it comes to their safety. Gone are the days when the beach meant that you can sit in a chair and read a book, or take a nice nap in the sun. You now have to be constantly on guard. If your child is near the water you need to be near the water too. If your child is in the water, you should be ankle deep right behind them at the absolute minimum. You’d be shocked at how quickly a small child can go from wetting his or her toes, to being knocked over and washed out with a surprise wave. A 10 second glance away could be all it takes. Consider the lifeguards a final option when all you have done to keep them safe has failed. Do not rely on them or anyone else when it comes to the safety of your kiddos.

Here is a list of things to run through before you head to big blue with the kids, so Get more info here:

1-    Know your swimming limitations

Please take note that this isn’t saying “DISCOVER your limitations”. If you think the water might be too rough for you, then I assure you that you are right. Err on the side of caution always. Don’t put yourself into a dangerous situation, especially when you are with your kids.

2-    Be especially cautious in water you are unfamiliar with

By most standards I am an excellent swimmer. However, new bodies of water present new challenges that I might not know about and don’t want to discover when I’m in it.  Always investigate the place you’re entering first. Ask locals, scope out potential problems and stay out if you’re unsure. If it’s a hot day and you see a delightful looking area of water that is free of other swimmers, assume there is a reason for it. There might be a riptide, polluted waters or it might be off limits for some other reason. It’s like the NYC subway car rule. If it’s empty during rush hour, there’s a damn good reason for it.

3-    Recognize a Riptide

Riptides (sometimes called “undertows”) are channels of water that flow from the beach out to sea. You have all of these waves coming in and they have to go back out to sea somewhere. The water is pushed to the side by the waves that are behind it until it finds an exit. These channels parallel to shore are called Feeder Rips and generally lead to the main Rip Tide. This is usually in a spot that’s deeper than the surrounding areas. When the water rushes out it forms a channel and makes it even deeper. Take a second to watch the water before you go in. Is there a section of the beach where the waves just aren’t breaking? Does the whitewater that’s rolling in mysteriously disappear in a section? That is the deeper water. Waves break where the water gets shallow. If they aren’t breaking, it’s deeper there and you should move your kids somewhere well away from it because chances are, that’s the spot that’s pulling out to sea. What looks to you like the most serene patch of water can very well be the most dangerous. Also, don’t swim very close to jetties or piers or beachheads. Riptides often form next to them as water is forced out to sea.

4-    Know how to get out of a riptide

Riptides can be very scary if you’re in one. You swim and swim and swim towards shore, but either make no progress, or get farther and farther away. If you’ve never been in a riptide, imagine swimming to the end riptide-diagramof your pool, only you’re swimming uphill and the water is pushing you back. There is a very simple solution to this. Swim parallel to the shore, not towards it. The riptide might only be a few yards wide. Once you’re out of it, getting to shore will be relatively easy again. If you have the energy to float but not enough to swim to shore, then float and wait for help if you know it’s coming.

5-    Talk to the lifeguards before you go in!!

This is a surprisingly simple thing to do that most people overlook. You might be looking at the lifeguard and think to yourself “Pffff… That kid is 17 years old, tops. What can he/she tell me that I don’t already know….”. Well, when it comes to the ocean, I guarantee you that they know more than you might ever know. In one summer, it’s very likely that those “kids” will spend more time on the beach and in the ocean than most people will in their entire lives. They are the experts and you should respect that. Ask them where the safest place is for you and the kids. Have them point out dangerous spots (they’ll know where they are and where they form with changing tides). If you’re not a strong swimmer, let them know and ask them to keep a particular eye out for your children. I promise you that if you show them that you are making an effort, they will make an effort for you as well.

6-    Recognize when someone is in trouble

I strongly recommend that everyone read this article and share it with everyone you know. “Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning”. It gives you a very real description of what to look for and recognize when someone is in desperate need of help. They cannot call out, they cannot scream. They simply go under. I’ll leave this quote from it here: “Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.”

7-  Assign a guardian when you are away

There are obviously going to be times that you can’t watch the kids. You might have to go to the bathroom, or feed a parking meter. A mistake that many people (especially those in groups) make is assuming someone else is watching the kids. They are there with 8 other adults so someone is looking out while you’re away, right?? The problem that arises is that every other parent is also assuming someone else has their eyes on your kids. When you need to leave, assign someone specific to watch your children. Tell them “You are in charge of them until I come back. DO NOT STOP WATCHING THEM UNTIL THEN”. Be firm about it. If you don’t give someone this responsibility, you can’t assume that someone is going to just naturally take over.

So please take caution this summer.  Watch your kids at the beach, at the pool, near the mall fountain. Once you know what to look for and what to look out for, you can spend time on the beach passing that knowledge on to your children. They will be safe while you’re with them and armed with the lessons you give them, they’ll be safe in the future when they are on their own.

**** Update to this relatively old article. This fantastic video was created and is a must watch/ share for anyone who will be near water.****