Beach Safety

The beach is a wonderful place to be. If you’re heading to the coast, take a look at our advice and tips to help you have fun and stay safe.

How can I stay safe on the beach?

• Protect and keep an eye on your family
• Stay together and don't use inflatables
• In an emergency dial 999 for the Coastguard

Lifeguarded beaches

When you’re heading to a beach, we urge you to respect the water and visit a lifeguarded beach. On a lifeguarded beach there are trained professionals to help keep you safe – they’ll be on hand if something goes wrong, in or out of the water. It’s easy to search for lifeguarded beaches to make sure you and your family have a safe and fun trip to the coast.

There are a few important things to remember, whether lifeguards are on duty or not.

Beach flags and signs

Signs

When you arrive at the beach the first thing you might see is a sign giving you all the information about the beach you’re visiting. This includes important safety info on the hazards specific to the area. The signs generally use two different types of warning symbols. Do you know the difference?

Red and white prohibition sign

Do not enter the water at any time. Swimming and other water-related activities are not permitted.

No lifeguards sign

There is currently no lifeguard service at this beach. You should exercise caution and follow all safety advice to protect you and your family.

Flags

If the beach you’re at is not lifeguarded, please take extra care if you are going into the water. If lifeguards are on patrol, then you’ll need to know your flags:

Red and yellow beach flag

Lifeguarded area. Safest area to swim, bodyboard and use inflatables.

Black and white chequered beach flag

For surfboards, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and other non-powered craft. Launch and recovery area for kitesurfers and windsurfers. Never swim or bodyboard here.

Red beach flag

Danger! Never go in the water under any circumstances when the red flag is flying.

Orange windsock

Indicates offshore or strong wind conditions. Never use inflatables when the windsock is flying.

Understand cold water shock

Anything below 15°C is defined as cold water and can seriously affect your breathing and movement. Average UK and Ireland sea temperatures are just 12°C. 

Learn about the effects of cold water shock and how you can minimise the risk.

Taking a dip

Before you get in the water it’s important to consider your personal fitness as the sea can be a very demanding environment. Swimming is one of the best year-round activities to help prepare your body so we’d recommend you get in the pool and start practising now!

Just be aware that sea swimming can be more challenging than the pool so before you start a watersport it’s worth jumping in between the red and yellow beach flags and familiarising yourself with the conditions.

And our annual Beach Smart campaign helps thousands of families stay safe while having fun in the surf.

Inflatables

Blow-up toys and airbeds are designed for pools, not the sea where they can easily be swept out. If you do use them at the beach, then:

• ensure children are closely supervised
• keep near the shore
• only use between the red and yellow beach flags
• follow the lifeguard’s advice
• do not take inflatables out in big waves
• never use them when the orange windsock is flying, as this indicates offshore winds which will blow inflatables further out to sea
• if you do get into difficulty, then stay with your inflatable as it will keep you above the water.

Bodyboarding

Bodyboarding is fun for all the family, but every year our lifeguards rescue thousands of people who get caught out. The most important advice is to wear a leash and always stay with your board as it will keep you above the water, even if you feel you are drifting out to sea. Your board will keep you afloat and make you much easier to spot if our lifeguards need to rescue you.

How to call for help

If you get into difficulty it’s tempting to try and swim to safety but you should always stay with your kit as it will keep you afloat and make you easier to find in an emergency.

• If you fall into water, fight your instinct to thrash around.
• Lean back, extend your arms and legs.
• If you need to, gently move them around to help you float.
• Float until you can control your breathing.
• Only then, call for help or swim to safety.

A whistle is a simple and effective method of calling for help when close to shore. When venturing further offshore carry a suitable means of calling for help, such as a waterproof and fully charged VHF radio, phone in a waterproof pouch or flares.

Don’t forget the international distress signal of hand waving and shouting for help.

Sun safety

Sunburn can ruin your holiday and increase the risk of skin cancer in later life. According to our friends at the Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity Skcin, we experience over half our lifetime’s exposure to the sun before we reach the age of 21.

So please, keep safe this Summer and follow the Ss of sun safety:

• Sunscreen – slop on SPF 30+ broad-spectrum waterproof sunscreen every 2 hours
• Sun hat – slap on a broad-brimmed hat that shades your face, neck and ears
• Sunglasses – wear wrap-around sunglasses with UV protection to shield your eyes
• Shoulders – slip on a T-shirt or UV protective suit for children and remember to keep your shoulders covered
• Shade – seek shade, particularly during the hottest time of the day between 11am and 3pm when UV penetration is at its strongest 
• Slurp – drink lots of water so that you stay hydrated during your time in the sun.

Wetsuits

The waters around the UK and Ireland can be very cold, even on a warm summer’s day. A wetsuit will keep you warm and comfortable, allowing your body to perform more efficiently.

Wetsuits are generally made from neoprene and are designed to maintain your body’s core temperature and protect you from the elements. They work by letting a small amount of water in, holding it next to your body, which then heats up from the natural energy produced during exercise. For this reason it’s vital to choose a well-fitted suit to avoid being flushed with cold water. Remember a wetsuit is usually worn with the zip at the back!

Wetsuit thickness is measured in millimetres of neoprene: the thicker the suit the more insulation. As a general rule in the UK and Ireland most people use full suits, which means long arms and long legs:

• 5:3 = winter suit approx November–March (5mm neoprene core, 3mm limbs)
• 4:3 = spring suit approx April–October (4mm neoprene core, 3mm limbs)
• 3:2 = summer suit approx June−September (3mm neoprene core, 2mm limbs)

Missing children

Children are safest when supervised.

As soon as you get to the beach, agree a meeting point in case of separation. If the beach runs a children’s safety scheme, using wristbands or tickets, take part. They’re free and they work. If you are on an RNLI-lifeguarded beach, visit the lifeguard hut on arrival and they can give you special wristbands to put your contact details on.

If a child does go missing:

• calmly check your surroundings first, ensuring other children remain supervised
• contact the lifeguards or police and keep them informed
• let all searchers know once the child is found.