Water Safety - Open Water

Air Date: 6/30/2003

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Whether at the beach or in the backyard, there are rules to follow to make swimming, boating, and other water based activities as safe and injury-free as possible. According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 14 and under, taking nearly 1,000 children's lives each year. For children ages 1 to 2, drowning is the leading cause of injury death. Knowledge and prevention is a powerful tool for combating these tragedies.

General Water Safety Tips

• Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. Always swim with a buddy; never swim alone. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.
• Swim in supervised areas only.
• Obey all rules and posted signs.
• Watch out for the "dangerous too's"-- too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.
• Don’t mix alcohol and swimming. Alcohol impairs your judgement, balance, and coordination, affects your swimming and diving skills, and reduces your body's ability to stay warm.
• Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming or boating at the first indication of bad weather.
• Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies.

Keeping Children Safe In, On, and Around the Water

• Find a boating course in your area (Red Cross, U.S. Power Squadron, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, US Sailing, etc) -- these courses teach about navigation rules, emergency procedures and the effects of wind, water conditions, and weather.
• Alcohol and boating don't mix. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance, and coordination -- over 50 percent of drownings result from boating incidents involving alcohol. For the same reasons it is dangerous to operate an automobile while under the influence of alcohol, people should not operate a boat while drinking alcohol.
• Use Coast Guard-approved life jackets for yourself and your passengers when boating and fishing.
• Develop a float plan. Anytime you go out in a boat, give a responsible person details about where you will be and how long you will be gone. This is important because if the boat is delayed because of an emergency, becomes lost, or encounters other problems, you want help to be able to reach you.

• Select a supervised area. A trained lifeguard who can help in an emergency is the best safety factor. Even good swimmers can have an unexpected medical emergency in the water. Never swim alone.
• Select an area that is clean and well maintained. A clean bathhouse, clean restrooms, and a litter-free environment show the management’s concern for your health and safety.
• Select an area that has good water quality and safe natural conditions. Murky water, hidden underwater objects, unexpected drop-offs, and aquatic plant life are hazards. Water pollution can cause health problems for swimmers. Strong tides, big waves, and currents can turn an event that began as fun into a tragedy.
• Make sure the water is deep enough before entering headfirst. Too many swimmers are seriously injured every year by entering headfirst into water that is too shallow. A feetfirst entry is much safer than diving.
• Be sure rafts and docks are in good condition. A well-run open-water facility maintains its rafts and docks in good condition, with no loose boards or exposed nails. Never swim under a raft or dock. Always look before jumping off a dock or raft to be sure no one is in the way.
• Avoid drainage ditches and arroyos. Drainage ditches and arroyos for water run-off are not good places for swimming or playing in the water. After heavy rains, they can quickly change into raging rivers that can easily take a human life. Even the strongest swimmers are no match for the power of the water. Fast water and debris in the current make ditches and arroyos very dangerous.

• Stay within the designated swimming area, ideally within the visibility of a lifeguard.
• Never swim alone.
• Check the surf conditions before you enter the water. Check to see if a warning flag is up or check with a lifeguard for water conditions, beach conditions, or any potential hazards.
• Stay away from piers, pilings, and diving platforms when in the water.
• Keep a lookout for aquatic life. Water plants and animals may be dangerous. Avoid patches of plants. Leave animals alone.
• Make sure you always have enough energy to swim back to shore.
  Don’t try to swim against a current if caught in one. Swim gradually out of the current, by swimming across it.

• Know your local laws and regulations. Some states have special laws governing the use of personal water craft (PWC) which address operations, registration and licensing requirements, education, required safety equipment and minimum ages.
• Operate your PWC with courtesy and common sense. Follow the traffic pattern of the waterway. Obey no-wake and speed zones.
• Use extreme caution around swimmers and surfers. Run your PWC at a slow speed until the craft is away from shore, swimming areas, and docks. Avoid passing close to other boats and jumping wakes. This behavior is dangerous and often illegal.
• Coast Guard-approved life jackets should be worn by the operator of the PWC as well as any riders.
• Ride with a buddy. PWCs should always travel in groups of two or three. You never know when an emergency might occur.
• Alcohol and operating a PWC doesn’t mix. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance, and coordination. For the same reasons it is dangerous to operate an automobile, people should not operate a boat or PWC while drinking alcohol.

• Always wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
• Wear a wet suit in cold water to prevent hypothermia.
• You need good physical strength and swimming ability. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.
• Take windsurfing lessons from a qualified instructor.
• Know local weather conditions. Make sure the water and weather conditions are safe. Because water conducts electricity, it is wise to stop swimming, boating or any activities on the water as soon as you see or hear a storm. Also, heavy rains can make certain areas dangerous.

• Receive instructions/take lessons from qualified divers before participating.
• Get a medical examination and take a swim test before learning SCUBA diving.
• Once certified, do not dive in rough or dangerous waters or in environments for which youare not trained. Ice, cave, and shipwreck diving require special training.
• One can easily get lost or trapped and run out of air.
• Never dive by yourself.

• Wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
• Be sure the boat and ski equipment are in good shape.
• Always turn the boat motor completely off when you approach a fallen skier.
• Watch the water ahead of you at all times.
• Have an extra person aboard to watch and assist the skier.
• Run parallel to shore and come in slowly when landing. Sit down if coming in too fast.
• Use proper hand signals to signal boat operator.
• Do not ski at night or in restricted areas.
  

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