Safety at the beach

Summer at the beach is a great day out.

Think picnics, sandcastles, cricket, walking, swimming, and more.

The ocean is safe to swim in when you make safe choices.

Go to a beach that has lifeguards .

Swim between the red and yellow flags.

A red and yellow flag flaps in the wind at an Australian beach.
expert swimmer that can rescue people in the water

The ocean is powerful.

The beach can have strong rips .

A rip is a fast current that can pull a person out to sea.

A rip is difficult to get out of. Waves can be strong enough to pull you under water.

An aerial view of a rip current at a beach, with a pink circle indicating exactly where the rip can be seen.

If you need help, put your hand up to call the lifeguards.

Here are some of the safety signs you might see at the beach.

Always follow the safety signs and ask a lifeguard if you need help.

Unsafe for swimming sign Unsafe for swimming

No swimming sign No swimming

Big waves sign Dangerous surf, big waves

Strong currents sign Strong currents

Swim between the flags sign Swim between the flags

Underwater Stingers sign Stingers underwater

Floating stingers sign Floating stingers

Shallow water sign Shallow water. No diving

Deep water sign Deep water

Sudden deep water sign Sudden deep water

If you are not a confident swimmer, remember these tips:

Always swim with other people, not on your own.

Avoid water sports like snorkelling, surfing or windsurfing.

Do not go in the water if you are not sure about the water conditions.

The details of the water and location that may affect safety. eg: the depth, current, strength of waves, or if there are sharks or stingers.

Look out for sea creatures that can bite or sting in the water.

Some beaches have stingers like jellyfish, or even sharks in the water. Be careful!

This is a photo of a blue box jellyfish. It is a stinger that can be found in Victoria.

A bluebottle jellyfish washed up on the sand at the beach.
an insect or animal that stings, such as a bee or jellyfish.

A few extra tips:

  • Watch children when they play in the sand.
  • Be close by to help so they don’t get buried in the sand.
  • Protect yourself from the hot sun and have plenty to drink.

And, remember to pack a few extra dollars in case the ice cream van shows up!

A young boy buys an icecream from a bright pink icecream van at the beach. Photo courtesy of mammaknowswest.com.au