Beach and Ocean Swimming Safety Tips: Advice From a Lifeguard

Enjoy a fun day at the beach and in the water with the beach and ocean swimming safety tips below.

I was a Los Angeles County Ocean Lifeguard for twenty years. Yup, a genuine Baywatch babe, but I was the real deal. You can take the Mom out of the lifeguard tower, but you can’t take the lifeguard out of the Mom. Keep you and your family safe this summer with this list of beach and ocean swimming safety tips I put together.

This informative beach and ocean swimming safety guide covers rip currents, teaching children beach safety tips, ocean conditions, water safety, and basic first aid to help you prevent injuries and be better prepared for anything that might happen at the beach or while swimming and playing in the ocean. Follow these water safety tips to keep everyone safe at the beach and in the water this summer. You might also enjoy this list of outdoor activities.

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Beach and Water Safety Tips for Beachgoers, Parents, and Caregivers:

Below is a list of excellent swimming safety tips for beachgoers of all ages and abilities. Before I share them with you, I want to mention something important. After twenty years of speaking to the public as an ocean lifeguard, I’ve come to realize that lifeguards can sometimes be the bummer police. It’s unfortunate that what they tell you is often not what you want to hear.

Trust me, lifeguards dislike this part of their job more than you do. Lifeguarding is one of the coolest jobs out there; it was one of my dream jobs that meshed with my wanderlust lifestyle, and I got to do it for 20 years, but making ordinances is no fun for anyone. Lifeguards don’t want to tell you that you can’t have your dog on the beach any more than you do.

Please understand that lifeguards aren’t trying to ruin your day or police your happiness. They’re doing their very best to ensure you and your children, if you have them present, go home safely. It’s their primary duty and number one command.

Fortunately, if you follow the advice below, you’ll likely never be bothered by a lifeguard. The beach and swimming safety tips included in this handy guide will make it much easier for you to enjoy playing in the water and ensure everyone goes home safe after a day of fun in the sun.

Following the tips below will also help you understand some beach and swimming safety rules so a lifeguard doesn’t need to inform you of them. Of course, I recommend learning some of the safety rules specific to the beach you are visiting, because not all beaches have the same public safety and health ordinances. However, the ocean swimming safety tips below are universal. You might also enjoy these creek activities.

29 Beach and Swimming Safety Tips from an Ocean Lifeguard Mom:

Here are twenty-nine beach and ocean swimming safety tips to help you have fun at the beach and in the water:

1. Always swim near a lifeguard (or an open lifeguard tower):

Please swim near a lifeguard or an open lifeguard tower. You are putting your safety at risk when you swim in an area with no lifeguard present or on duty, even if you are a strong swimmer. Typically, lifeguards are never without their red rescue can or tube, which makes them easy to spot on the beach. There is a lifeguard in this tower because the rescue can is hanging. (The guard on duty happens to be my husband. We met working as Los Angeles County Ocean Lifeguards.)

If the shutters are open and you don’t see the rescue can or tube anywhere on the tower, look for the lifeguard on duty on the beach. They are usually easy to spot in their uniform, holding a red (or yellow) rescue can or tube. I share the story of how and why I chose to become a professional lifeguard in the following section, as it clearly illustrates why swimming near an open tower with a lifeguard present is the safest option. I promise you that it is worth the read, but you are welcome to skip it. The remaining beach and ocean swimming safety tips follow my story.

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Why It’s Best to Swim Near a Lifeguard:

Before Kauai, HI had lifeguards, the locals were responsible for rescuing tourists whenever they got in trouble, if they were around. When I lived there for a few years in the late ’80s, I frequented a beach called Lumahi, nicknamed “Luma-die Beach” because of the number of drownings there.

As I was walking down the beach with a friend, he said, “We’re going to make some rescues today, are you ready?” I gave him a look as if to say, “What are you talking about?” He then pointed out a rip current created by the river and storm surf that day, which was pulling next to a rock jetty. Working together, they moved massive amounts of water out to sea, making the situation even worse.

Together, the river current and storm surf near a natural rock jetty created one of the strongest rip currents possible. There was usually a sandy beach berm built up between the river and the ocean that stopped the river from flowing out to sea, but not this day. The massive surf had knocked it down, and the river flowed like a wild water ride straight out to sea and off into the horizon.

When Mother Nature’s playground turns into someone else’s Nightmare:

About an hour later, my local friends and I were having fun taking turns body surfing in the standing wave created by the current. The ocean and river currents were so powerful that they made a wave that stayed in the same place and could be surfed forever, or at least until you got knocked down and “sucked out” into the ocean. When this happened, locals like Lyon and his extreme-athlete brother Laird Hamilton, the Irons brothers (Bruce and his late brother Andy), and the late Keoni Lucas taught me to swim down the beach, away from the river and parallel to shore, whenever I found myself getting sucked out to sea.

Because we made it look so fun, tourists often jumped in to try our natural water ride. Unfortunately, they did not have the instructors I did, or know how to swim back to safety when they got stuck in the rip current, and many of them died when locals were not around to help. So, at that time, the sign in the parking lot that read “Lumahi Beach” was crossed out, and “LUMA-DIE” was written in its place as a sort of crude warning from the locals, but it didn’t do much good.

You can do it!

Suddenly, my local friend Chris took off, heading out to sea screaming, “Come on!” I soon realized he was swimming toward a tourist couple that was floating out to sea. When we arrived, they were in total panic, barely keeping their heads above water. My friend shouted to me, “Help her!” as he continued swimming toward the man farther from the shore. I stopped swimming a short distance away from her and told her I could help and that everything would be okay. As we continued to fly out to sea in the strong current, I asked her if she could swim. She nodded yes, so I told her to stay calm and follow me.

A lifeguard is born:

I swam backstroke so I could keep my eye on her to make sure she was still with me. When I saw a big set wave coming, I told her to take a deep breath and hold it. Then, as I took a deep breath, I grabbed her, turned us around, and kicked us into the wave, trying to ride it to shore. We went under and tumbled toward shore for what seemed like an eternity. It’s not easy to body surf entangled with another person, but thankfully, the force of the wave pushed us close enough to shore that I could reach the bottom with my feet and drag her slowly to safety. At that moment, the lifeguard in me was born. I had saved someone’s life and was forever changed by it.

How I Became a Los Angeles County Ocean Lifeguard:

When I moved back to Santa Monica a few years later, I joined the Santa Monica College Swim team to be ready for the tryout swim to become a Los Angeles County Ocean Lifeguard for the Los Angeles County Fire Department in 1994.

After making the qualifying cut in the one-mile ocean swim and passing the oral interview, I was invited to an intense paramilitary ocean lifeguard training program known to fellow lifeguards as “Rookie School.” I graduated from the Los Angeles County Fire Department Ocean Lifeguard Training Academy in 1994, worked as an ocean lifeguard and junior lifeguard instructor for twenty years, and retired from service in November 2014 when my daughter was a toddler. I started creating this website, Rhythms of Play, a week later. When one door closes, another opens.

2. Ask the lifeguard about beach safety, water safety, and ocean conditions:

The best advice is to talk to the lifeguard and ask questions before heading into the water, especially if you have kids or plan to swim long distances. Lifeguards are more than happy to teach and inform the public. It’s our job, and it helps pass the time. So go ahead and ask!

3. Pay attention to beach flags and swimming safety signs, and learn what they mean:

Most beaches and lifeguard organizations will have beach safety signs, flags, and cones to inform the public about beach and ocean conditions. Not all beaches and organizations use the same swimming safety signs and flags, and some don’t even use them in the same way. Some organizations use flags of various colors to communicate ocean conditions, so residents can tell at first glance what to expect. This makes it a good idea to check with the on-duty lifeguard to learn more about what the signs, flags, and cones mean.

The photo collage below shows a few excellent examples of beach safety signs you might see. Most beach signs mark areas to avoid due to strong currents, piers, and jetties. Other beach safety signs designate emergency vehicle access and areas to keep clear in an emergency. For example, in Los Angeles County, ocean lifeguards must also place a cone perimeter around all lifeguard towers to ensure emergency vehicle access. Please keep this area clear, or the lifeguard on duty will have to ask you to move.

Some swimming safety signs designate swim and surf areas. There will usually be a flag and a sign with an arrow pointing toward the swim area and an arrow pointing toward the surf area, as shown in the photo collage above. Another water safety flag you might see is the “blackball flag.” The “blackball flag” is a yellow flag with a black ball in the middle.

When you see the black ball flag flying, no surfing is allowed except in designated surfing areas. Unfortunately, large beach crowds can sometimes prompt lifeguards to close surf areas to keep everyone safe.

4. Teach children to go to the nearest lifeguard if ever they find themselves “lost:”

Teach children to go to any lifeguard tower if they get lost. And if you ever see anyone in your party missing, go to the nearest lifeguard tower the second you realize it. No harm, no foul. All lifeguard organizations deal with lost children (and adults) daily and have systems in place to return them safely to their parents (or friends). In my 20 years of service, I have never heard of a missing child (or missing parents) that was not reunited using this system.

5. Stay close to the little ones, especially toddlers and preschoolers:

Young children, such as toddlers and preschoolers, can easily get lost, be knocked over by small waves, and slip into inshore holes faster than you can blink. Children have drowned in only a few feet of water because they could not get up after falling. Watching them with your eyes is often not enough because you need to act fast if they get into trouble. Keeping young children close to you is the best way to ensure they are safe in the water.

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6. Learn to identify inshore holes and rip currents:

Inshore holes happen when large surf digs a hole or trench in the shallow areas on the beach. These deeper areas are hazardous for young children who bounce along in the shallows and suddenly find themselves underwater, unable to swim. One minute, your child will be happily bouncing away; the next, they will be gone. If you are reading or looking at your phone, even for a second, you might miss it. Please watch children closely and do your best to keep them out of areas with inshore holes.

You can spot inshore holes because the water is usually a bit darker in deep areas. These holes often deceive people into thinking they are safer to swim because the surf is generally smaller. However, these areas are usually the most dangerous places to swim on the beach, because rip currents will often pull out of an inshore hole. Waves rush into them as they crash to the shore, fill these deep holes, and then the water rushes back out to sea. As soon as the person can no longer touch the bottom, they will be pulled out to sea in the rushing water, as illustrated in the image below. Often, the person will be completely unaware of this until it is too late.

7. Learn how to escape a rip current and swim to safety:

A rip current is a river of water heading out to sea, as shown in the graphics above and below. Stay calm if and when you find yourself being pushed out to sea. You are probably in a rip current. If you are on a surfboard or bodyboard, stay on it. Do not jump off your flotation and attempt to swim to shore. You are much safer floating on it than swimming, even if you are heading away from shore.

The swimming safety graphic below shows how to escape a rip current. When you are in a rip current and are not making any forward progress toward shore, swim or kick parallel to the shore instead. Or wait for the lifeguard to come to help you. Trust me. The lifeguards see you getting sucked out and are likely already on their way. They are probably standing on their deck looking at you through their binoculars or grabbing their lifeguard can or tube (usually a red flotation device lifeguards use for rescues) and running your way.

I can’t tell you how many times people I’ve rescued over the years say, “How’d you know I was in trouble?” or “How’d you get here so fast?” Lifeguards are trained to see and anticipate things before they happen. So, they are often there before you realize you are in danger. Sometimes they will whistle at you first and try to wave you in to make sure you need help. If you don’t do anything or have trouble, the lifeguard will come get you. Just do your best to relax and stay calm, even if you see the shoreline getting further away. Often, “victims” are not drowning; the person being “rescued” or “saved” just needs a little help out of a rip current pulling them out to sea.

8. Look toward the shore when you hear whistling or yelling:

When you hear whistling or yelling, look towards the beach to ensure it’s not a lifeguard trying to get your attention. One of their mottos is “Prevents before rescues.” In other words, Lifeguards are trained to approach the public and inform them to prevent rescues, rather than waiting until someone is “drowning” before taking action.

Follow the lifeguard’s directions if you see them motioning to you. Often, they are trying to move swimmers down the beach to a safer area or asking you to come to shore. They are usually trying to help you move out of a hazardous area with a hole, rip current, pier, or rocks nearby. So, please move in the direction the lifeguard is pointing or gesturing. It’s usually pretty obvious where they are directing you. If not, swim in to ask.

If you ever have any questions about what’s going on or why the lifeguard is moving you, please feel free to ask. Ocean lifeguards are there to teach, inform, and make sure everyone goes home safe and happy. It’s their job! They are always pleased to introduce you and your family to ocean conditions and water safety. Not only does this help lifeguards do their job of keeping you safe now and in the future, but it also helps pass the time. If you ever find yourself confused or want to learn more, please ask the lifeguard for clarification.

9. Use a reef-safe chemical-free sunblock and apply it often:

Chemical sunscreens, including those with nanoparticles, are dangerous not only to your health but also to waterways and the well-being of aquatic life. There are several reef-safe sunscreen options on the market today that don’t contain chemicals that are better for you and our precious environment. Reef-safe sunscreens are chemical-free sunblocks that contain only non-nano zinc or titanium as the active ingredient. Please reapply it every few hours when swimming to prevent sunburn. Thank you for caring for the Earth and protecting our precious waterways.

10. Bring shade if you plan to stay a while:

Bring some shade to the beach if you plan to stay a while. Hats, clothing, clothing with sun-protection, rash guards, beach umbrellas, or pop-ups are all great options. Unfortunately, regular tents are not allowed on the beach because safety professionals, including lifeguards and police, can not see inside them. If you want to use a tent, try a beach tent!

If you use a pop-up beach shelter, please don’t move it closer to shore than the lifeguard towers. Pop-ups near the shore can obstruct lifeguards’ vision. If the pop-up blocks swimmers, the lifeguard might need to tell you to take it down or move it, and that’s a big bummer for everyone. You are better off keeping it in line with the towers to keep the lifeguards’ view of the water unobstructed, so you can enjoy the day in peace.

Beach umbrellas can be positioned much closer to shore, but be prepared for a lifeguard to come by and ask you to lower it if they can’t see the people and children in the water behind it. Thank you so much for your understanding about this. Lifeguards want to see your kids and make sure they are safe as much as you do. It’s their job.

11. Keep everyone, especially children, far away from storm drains at the beach, even when closed:

Wherever there is a storm drain, there is toxicity. Due to illegal dumping into gutters, most storm drains are contaminated with highly toxic substances. Unfortunately, everything dumped into the gutter ends up in the sea. This means that everything in the streets across the United States ends up in our storm drains, then in waterways, and eventually in the ocean. Everything. Even when closed, these areas often accumulate hazardous substances. Please keep yourself, your children, and the rest of your family and friends as far away as possible from storm drains and the water near them to protect your continued health and well-being.

12. Avoid rocks, jetties, and piers:

Please keep yourself and your children far away from rocks, jetties, and piers. Often, these areas are marked with flags, signs, and even buoy lines to keep people out of danger. Keep your family as far away from them as possible. In other words, don’t swim anywhere near them. Here are just a few potential dangers that can occur near rocks, jetties, and piers:

• Rocks, jetties, and piers often have rip currents pulling alongside them that can take you out to sea.
• There are often hazardous, unexposed rocks or pilings just below the water’s surface near rocks, jetties, and piers that can cause injuries.
• When in the water, people usually forget exactly where they are, or they can get pushed into these obstacles. This can cause severe injuries.

13. Please don’t swim near surfers or surf near swimmers:

Here’s a helpful swimming safety tip. If you arrive in an area with surfers and do not see a designated surfing area, please find a spot where there are no surfers if you’d like to swim. It is unsafe for swimmers and surfers to be in the same place in the ocean. So, go with the first-come, first-served rule and find your own space to swim or surf if you don’t want to be bothered by a lifeguard separating you from others.

14. Always use a leash when surfing and a leash and fins when bodyboarding:

It’s best to use a leash when surfing and a leash and fins when bodyboarding. Fins are also advisable for swimmers, especially in large surf, because they make it easier to catch waves and escape rip currents if you find yourself caught in one. Here are a few helpful reasons to use a leash and fins:

• You won’t lose your flotation and end up at risk.
• Your surfboard or bodyboard is less likely to hit someone and hurt them when you use a leash.
• Swim fins make it easier to catch waves and escape rip currents when necessary.
  • If you get stuck in a rip current, use them to kick parallel to shore until you are free and clear, then swim to shore.

15. Please don’t use inflatables in the ocean:

Bummer, police, I know, but there are many reasons for this water safety tip. There is one exception to the no-inflatable rule. Coast Guard-certified inflatable boats are allowed in the ocean. However, do not launch from just anywhere on the beach. Please use only designated launch and landing spots if you intend to use them. Ask the nearest lifeguard or call your local Lifeguard Headquarters for more information about boat safety.

Here are several reasons that inflatables (including balls) are extremely dangerous in the ocean and therefore not allowed on most beaches:

• Inflatables can provide a false sense of security, leading people to go farther out in the ocean than they would without them.
• An inflatable can pop into the surf and put a swimmer’s life at risk if they rely on it for flotation.
• It’s effortless to get sucked into a rip current when floating around.
• Floaties you put on children’s arms can cause them to drown in the surf.
• Chasing after inflatables floating away is another way to put yourself at risk. It is more than likely that the inflatable is getting sucked into a rip current. Don’t follow it out, or lifeguards might have to follow you.

16. Swim Parallel to shore, not out to sea:

When enjoying the ocean, please do not swim straight out into the sea or attempt to swim out to a buoy, breakwater, etc. Holding onto buoys and climbing onto breakwaters is dangerous and is discouraged. Buoys and breakwaters are often farther than they look, and swimmers become too tired to make it back to shore.

Other dangers of swimming straight out include being hit by passing boats or getting stuck in rip currents. Please don’t put your life at risk. If you are a strong swimmer and want to swim around one of the buoys the lifeguards have set out, please ask the lifeguard first. Lifeguards will often leave you alone and let you enjoy yourself when you inform them of your intentions.

17. Please don’t throw sand:

Go ahead, tell your children that the lifeguard said no sand-throwing. Feel free to send them over to the lifeguard tower to ask if they must. Sand-throwing is not allowed on many beaches and is grounds for a citation because it can cause eye injuries to beach patrons, whether or not they are involved in the sand war. Please tell your children to refrain from this malicious activity.

18. Don’t tunnel into berms or dig too deep a hole:

Please don’t tunnel into berms or dig a hole deeper than knee-deep to keep everyone safe. Tunneling into sand berms is hazardous because tunnels can collapse, while holes can injure diggers and unsuspecting passersby. Worst-case scenario is when a tunnel collapses in, and a person suffocates as a result. Or when someone walking or running down the beach is injured after stepping into an unnoticed hole. Thank you for keeping everyone, including yourself, safe. If you like digging in the sand, check out these tips for building a sand castle.

19. Fill in the holes you dig in the sand before you leave the beach:

Please keep your children and other beachgoers safe by filling in any holes you dig before you leave the beach. Holes in the sand can be dangerous to the unsuspecting passerby and cause serious injuries. I know several lifeguards who have been injured by holes dug by beach patrons while running from their tower to make a rescue.

Sometimes they were injured so severely that they could not continue to make the rescue. Lifeguards have a fantastic backup system in place, so this has not yet resulted in a drowning, but it can. Please do everyone on the beach a favor by filling in your holes before you leave. Lifeguards are not looking for them because they are busy watching the person in the water that they are running to save. Thank you for your consideration.

20. Know the high and low tides:

There are generally two low tides and two high tides each day, with some exceptions I won’t go into here. Most often, there are tide boards on open lifeguard towers where you can read the high and low tides for the day to help you select a good spot to sit and put your beach belongings. If you put your stuff near the waterline when the tide is rising, it will get wet and might even be washed out to sea. Conversely, if you leave your stuff near the water when the tide goes out, you should be fine unless you plan to stay all day.

I’ve seen many beachgoers over the years come out of the water to find their stuff wet or washed away. Please learn about the tides to prevent this. Understanding the tides will also keep you safe from getting stuck, hurt, or at risk of drowning if you are on a beach where a high tide comes up to the rocky shore or clifside, making the beach disappear along with your way out, while low tide allows people to pass by unscathed.

21. Shuffle your feet in shallow water:

Shuffle your feet when in shallow water. This will alert any stingrays present that you are coming, and help them stay away from you. Stingrays are like bees; they will only sting you if they feel threatened. They are most often stepped on when they sting someone. Shuffle your feet to help them know you are coming. This simple action will prevent you from getting stung because stingrays swim away to avoid you.

If you’re heading to an area with several swimmers present, they’ve likely already left. However, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Stingray stings cause an almost unbearable amount of pain. Fortunately, I’ve never experienced it (because I shuffle my feet), but I’ve heard the “lifeguard stories” and have seen the pain on many people’s faces over the years as a first responder. So, I continue to shuffle my feet, because I have no interest in being sorry I didn’t tell the stingrays I was coming.

22. Learn basic first aid for bee, stingray, and jellyfish stings:

Bee stings and jellyfish stings are most often minor injuries. Most lifeguard towers can treat both, depending on the supplies they have available. Numbing agents such as sting-kill are usually used to treat the pain of a bee sting, while vinegar is excellent for neutralizing the pain of a jellyfish sting. Yes, the “Friends” episode is factual. You can also urinate on a jellyfish sting to relieve the pain–lol!

The most significant potential danger of bee and jellyfish stings is an allergic reaction that can lead to anaphylactic shock. This is a genuine life-threatening emergency. People who are allergic carry EPI-PENS and know how to use them to prevent an allergic reaction.

However, people are often unaware they are allergic if they have never been stung. It is always best to have a lifeguard check them out to be sure. If you ever notice the sting victim having trouble breathing, act fast, notify the lifeguard, and call 911 immediately!

Stingray injuries are more difficult to treat and often require an emergency room visit because the barb must be removed. Soak the area in hot water to draw out the toxin, and calmly make your way to the hospital.

23. Never dive into the water headfirst:

Always put your hands out in front of you when diving into the water, especially in the ocean. Sandbars are often right where you least expect them. If you hit your head on the bottom, it can cause a debilitating neck or spinal cord injury.

24. Know the Signs and Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries:

Learning the signs and symptoms of a spinal cord injury can help you act intelligently to minimize injury and act fast to prevent further injury if ever someone in your company is hurt. Read through the tips below for more information:

Signs of a Spinal Cord Injury:

• Pain or tenderness in the neck or back.
• Cuts, scrapes, or abrasions to the head or face.
• Numbness or tingling in the arms and legs.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Weakness in the arms or legs.
• Partial or complete paralysis.

If someone has a suspected spinal injury:

• Get the lifeguard or dial 9-1-1 immediately; don’t wait. When in doubt, make the call. They will ask questions and decide for you.
• Support their head and neck so they don’t move it until help arrives.
• Advise the injured person not to move, especially the head, neck, or back.
• Tell them to answer your questions with a verbal “yes” or “no” instead of nodding or shaking their heads.

25. Be aware when near or on a bike path:

Bike paths are like roads. Be aware of your children, teach them how to cross safely, and just like crossing a busy street, be careful not to let them dart across without first looking both ways. I’ve witnessed numerous bike-vs-pedestrian accidents that could have been easily prevented over the years, and it’s usually the pedestrians’ fault due to a lack of awareness, especially since cell phones became commonplace. “Be aware, cross the bike path with care.” ~NRK

26. Bring Water and hydrate, Hydrate, and hydrate some more:

Please bring plenty of water to the beach and drink it often. Do yourself or your family a favor by making sure you have plenty of water at the beach — especially on a hot day. Water is always the best for hydration. Drinks containing caffeine, or even worse, alcohol, can lead to dehydration.

Dehydration due to a lack of water can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke (a life-threatening emergency). To cut down on waste, my family filters our water and uses reusable double-walled portable stainless steel water bottles that keep drinks cold (or hot) for hours.

27. Please don’t drink alcohol and swim:

Bummer, police once again, I know. But the facts are clear and undeniable. “Drinkers are sinkers,” especially when ocean currents are involved. It’s a plain and simple truth that can easily be avoided. Please don’t drink alcohol and swim.

28. Don’t bring any glass to the beach.

Help prevent injuries by keeping glass off the beach. Glass can easily break and become dangerous to anyone who steps on the sand where the pieces lie.

29. Please Don’t Litter:

Please leave Mother Nature’s Playground as you found it by taking all your trash and belongings with you. Especially hazardous waste, such as diapers. Better yet, if you see any litter left by someone else, help beautify our beaches by picking it up and putting it in the garbage or recycling bin where it belongs. Take only pictures (and maybe a few seashells and rocks), and leave only footprints. Thank you for caring for the earth and keeping our beaches beautiful for everyone to enjoy!

Related: Under the Sea Ocean Art Projects

Beach and Swimming Safety Tips for Beachgoers, Kids, and Families

There are many factors to consider when it comes to beach and ocean safety, especially if young children are present. After reading these swimming safety tips, I hope you feel confident enough to keep yourself and your family safe at the beach so you can concentrate on having fun. Please look through these summer activities and this collection of outdoor activities for more fun ideas.

Learn more about Nell Regan Kartychok, author and photographer of these swimming and beach safety tips HERE, and Rhythms of Play HERE!

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