Children should always be supervised at the beach and near water, no matter what age they are. And it is important to teach children good safety practices when they are at the beach.

Start by setting a good example, being aware of the dangers and always following safe practices.

While most days at the beach go by without a care in the world, it is important that you and your children recognise the hazards that the beach can bring: waves, rips, sharks, bluebottles, stingers and of course, sunburn. By avoiding them or knowing how to deal with them, swimming and playing at the beach should pose no problem.

Surf safety

Ensure your children know to always swim between the red and yellow flags. This is where the lifesavers (lifeguards) patrol and can help if you have problems in the surf. If there are no flags, ask a lifeguard if there is a safe place to swim, and if there is no lifeguard, find another beach!

Waves:

Avoid plunging waves or "dumpers" as these break with tremendous force and can easily throw you onto a shallow sand bar beneath the wave, which can in turn, cause serious injury. Waves can be deceptive — it is safest for children to always swim with an adult.

Rips:

If you happen to get caught in a rip, the most important thing to remember is don't panic. Rips form where water moves over the sand bars towards the beach, returns back to sea via the channel between the sand bars. Never attempt to swim directly back to shore, but go with the rip and it will slowly take you across the beach. Raise your arm to indicate you are in trouble, float and wait for assistance from a lifeguard.

Sharks

Although sharks rarely approach swimmers, lifeguards keep a watch and will sound a warning siren over the loudspeaker if a shark is sighted. In the unlikely event of this happening, explain to your kids what to expect, to make sure they are aware that they must go ashore immediately if they hear the warning siren.

Bluebottles

Bluebottles, with their transparent blue sac and long, trailing tentacles invade some beaches periodically, particularly over the summer months. They can appear very attractive to inquisitive children, who should be warned they can give a very painful sting. Children should avoid them in the water and on the beach and be advised never to pick them up. Lifeguards will warn swimmers, usually with a sign, if bluebottles are prevalent, and will treat anyone who is stung. The easiest remedy is hot water (cold will do) but it will take a little while for the sting to subside. They are not deadly.

Box jellyfish (stingers):

In tropical north Queensland a nasty stinger called the box jellyfish, can be deadly. They are only found from November to April, so during this time, do not swim at a beach in this region unless it has a netted area for safe swimming.

Sunburn

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Not only that, sunburn will certainly cut into your summer enjoyment. Make sure you and your children use a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 plus and apply it often, especially after being in the water. Always wear a hat, shirt and sunglasses when you are not in the water.

First published in Out and About with Kids.

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