Beach Swimming: Ocean Tips Every Parent and Teen Should Know

The ocean is one of the most beautiful places to build happy memories and help your children stay physically healthy, but it also requires extra risk mitigation. Beach swimming involves multiple hazards that you don’t usually encounter at a public water park or residential pool.

According to the World Health Organization, drowning is the third leading cause of death for children between five and 14 years old. The most common reasons for this are underdeveloped risk assessment and poor swimming skills. Educational organizations also found that children between the ages of 5 and 17 are more susceptible to danger in natural bodies of water.

Whether you enjoy visiting the beach for family gatherings or want to teach your children about nature, a careful and attentive foundation is one of your best safety tools. Our guide will teach both teens and parents practical advice on common ocean hazards, useful habits, and how to build a safety plan.

Why Beach Safety Is Different from Pool Safety

At a glance, the beach may not seem that different from a public or residential pool. However, there are many unique details that could make an everyday swimming session more hazardous.

When taking your children to enjoy beach swimming, keep in mind these important differences:

• Natural Water is More Unpredictable: The ocean is a dynamic location, filled with waves, tides, currents, and drop-offs. Its water can range from clear to very murky and dark. Compare this to a public pool where the water is still, clear, and predictable.
  
• Older Children May Have a False Sense of Security: Teenagers tend to view the ocean more casually, especially if they have a lot of experience swimming in pools.
  
• Beaches Don’t Always Have Lifeguards: Even if you trust a friend deeply, they’re still not a certified and trained lifeguard. Public beaches and lakes don’t always have lifeguards on duty, so it’s your responsibility to watch for danger. Many teens won’t have the tools or experience to notice if someone is in trouble.
  
• Sunstroke and Dehydration Can Be Even More Dangerous: It’s easy to underestimate the sun when cool ocean water is all around you. Sunstroke and dehydration can make people feel weak and dizzy seemingly out of nowhere, affecting their ability to swim against strong currents.

The Most Common Beach and Ocean Hazards

You may already be familiar with common beach hazards such as large waves or sharp shells buried in the sand. Let’s take a look at well-known (and lesser-known) beach swimming hazards and how to avoid them:

• Rip Currents: According to the National Ocean Service, a rip current is a localized coastal current that flows away from the shoreline. Rip currents emerge from an imbalance of water that piles up in the surf zone between the shore and the ocean. As the ocean attempts to counterbalance this water build-up, it creates a current that pushes water away from the shore. To escape a rip current, you first need to wave and call for help. After getting someone’s attention, you should swim parallel to the shore to get out of the current, then swim back to shore.
• Sudden Drop-Offs and Sandbars: According to the National Park Service, a sandbar (also known as a shoal) forms when sediment gradually piles up by the shoreline, resulting in a partially exposed or entirely submerged ridge of sand. While it looks harmless to walk on, it can cause injury if you dive into one or try to stand on one. They’re not stable enough to safely support someone’s weight. When taking your teenager beach swimming, make sure that, to avoid these tricky ocean hazards, they never dive headfirst into the ocean.
• Waves and Shorebreaks: Even the strongest swimmer can be knocked down by a heavy wave. Per the National Weather Service, a shorebreak is a powerful wave that breaks right at the shore (or very close to it) and smashes down hard, which can seriously injure a person wading or attempting to return to land.
• Marine Life:  While marine life is beautiful, many species are dangerous to humans. Teach your children how to recognize animals like stingrays, jellyfish, and sharks so they can give them a wide berth or stay out of the water.
• Heat and Dehydration: When in doubt, get out of the water and get hydrated. Heat-related illness while beach swimming can manifest as fatigue, dizziness, muscle cramps, nausea, and flushed skin.
• Boats and Watercraft: Fishing boats and watercraft can crash into unsuspecting swimmers, potentially knocking them unconscious or exposing them to motorblade injuries.

Beach Safety Tips for Parents

Swimming at the beach may sound a little scary in light of all these potential hazards, but it doesn’t have to be. When you take a proactive and informed approach to beach swimming, you create a solid foundation to build your children’s confidence and keep them safe.

Follow these tips every single time you go to the beach to help beach safety become second nature for your children.

• Talk with Your Children Before They Leave: If your kids or teens are going to the beach with anyone other than you, ask who they’re hanging out with, exactly where they’re going, and how long they’ll be there. Clearly discuss rules and expectations, such as emergency contact information and no-swim zones.
• Know the Location: Always research the beach or body of water in advance. Check important details such as rip current frequency or if lifeguards are on duty.
• Set Strict Check-In Times: Make sure your children keep their phones close by and instruct them to check in every 30 to 60 minutes.
• Make Sure They Have Equipment: Tell your children to wear bright colors that contrast with the water, like red, pink, or yellow. They should also take a beach kit with essentials like sunblock, water bottles, and a whistle to call for help.
• Know Their Swimming Ability: Your children may feel self-conscious if they’re not particularly skilled swimmers, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Emphasize that it’s okay to return to shore if they’re not comfortable, and stress the importance of calling for help if they feel in danger. It’s also important not to overestimate your child’s swim skills - just because they can swim for long distances or unassisted in a pool does not mean that those same skills will apply in the ocean!

Safety Tips for Kids and Teens

Are you excited to enjoy some long, fun days at the beach? Beach swimming safety tips are your best tool for keeping common hazards at bay and enjoying your outing to the fullest:

• Never Swim Alone: An accident doesn’t wait for you to be prepared. With that in mind, stay prepared by always swimming with a friend, even if you’re confident in your abilities.
• Don’t Assume Friends Will Notice You Need Help: Struggling to swim in real life looks very different than in the movies. People rarely splash around, instead sinking beneath the water silently and quickly (often within 30 seconds).
• Stay Where Your Feet Can Touch: Unless you’re with a lifeguard, always stay where your feet can touch the bottom. When you’re able to walk on the ground, it’s much easier to return to shore at a moment’s notice.
• Keep a Sharp Eye Out for Beach Safety Flags: Beaches often come with flags to warn visitors of hazards. Green means the beach is safe and low-risk, yellow means slightly stronger currents, red means very strong currents, and purple means there is dangerous wildlife nearby.
• Know the Signs of a Rip Current (and How to Escape): If you’re swimming and notice you keep getting pulled away from the shore, you’re in a rip current. Your response should be to stay calm, call for help, then start swimming parallel to the shore. Once you notice the water is no longer pulling you away, you can swim directly to shore.
• Avoid Diving or Flipping in Shallow or Dark Waters: According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, diving is the fifth leading cause of spinal cord injuries. Never dive in shallow or dark waters. Even if the water is clear and deep, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• Watch the Waves: Safe beach swimming means never turning your back on the ocean. The waves will tell you how safe the water is by how small and slow they are. If the waves are large and active, go back to the beach.
• Take Breaks: If you start to feel tired, return to the shore and take a break. A little fatigue may not seem like a big deal, but it can make swimming much harder.
• Bring a Flotation Device: Tubes and floats can offer additional support while you’re swimming. However, they’re not a substitute for safe behavior! Always make sure to closely follow the advice on this list.

How to Create a Family Safety Plan

The whole family should be involved when making a safety plan. Follow these tips to make sure you’re able to use this plan effectively if something dangerous happens.

1. Make Beach Safety Part of Family Conversations: Every time you go to the beach, take a few minutes to discuss safety tips and make sure you have essential tools. Teach children how to spot dangerous beaches (such as by looking for beach flags or watching wave activity).
   
2. Create a Shared ‘Water Plan’ for Outings: Everyone needs to be on the same page when visiting swimming beaches. Decide who will watch the kids, where you’ll set up supplies, and what to do if there’s an emergency.
   
3. Use Tech Wisely: Your phone isn’t only a good tool for calling help. You can also use it to share locations with a GPS tracker or stay updated on local safety alerts.
   
4. Practice Drills and Emergency Calls: Teach your children how to know when they should wave for help, such as feeling tired when swimming, or encountering a rip current. You should also teach them when to call 911 and what to tell the dispatcher.
   
5. Encourage Older Siblings to Model Safe Behavior: Children are often more likely to listen to their peers or siblings than to adults, so encourage your older children to model safe behavior.

What to Do in Case of an Emergency

Nobody wants to think there will be an emergency when enjoying some beach swimming, but a little foresight could save a life. Follow these tips in case of the following scenarios:

• Check the Water if a Child Goes Missing: Every second counts, so always check the water immediately.
• Teach Children Not to Attempt Rescues: Many people’s first instinct when someone is struggling to swim is to jump in, but that actually puts them at risk of being pulled under, too. Teach children ‘reach, throw, don’t go’—they can throw the struggling child a rope or floatie, or call for help instead.
• Know CPR: Every parent and teenager should learn life-saving CPR. Take a local course to learn about checking for breathing, giving chest compressions, and administering rescue breaths.
• Designate a Water Watcher for Group Events: One adult should always keep their eyes on the water. This means no checking phones (except during an emergency) or taking a quick nap.
  

Beach Swimming Requires Vigilance and Awareness From Parents and Teens

Fatigue, heat stroke, and rip currents are just a few of the risks of beach swimming. With regular communication and thoughtful planning, you can prevent tragedies and make fun memories.

These safety tips help children learn how to respect the water, not fear it. Safety isn’t about panic, but about preparation and useful knowledge. If you want to help your children become more confident swimmers and learn more about water safety, register them with Big Blue Swim School.

Our passionate, professional instructors are excited to meet your children and help them learn lifelong swimming and water safety skills. Book a free trial with Big Blue Swim School today!