BEACH SAFETY BEGINS WITH THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS:
Use a good reliable sunscreen at least SPF 50 or more. Don’t forget to reapply; even if it is water proof/resistant. Most sunscreens will break down just wearing them.
Make sure you and your children stay well hydrated; bring a good sports bottle with you and know where you can get water if you need it. If no fountains are available near the beach bring plenty of bottled water.
Leave valuables in your car or trunk; don’t bring them with you unless you intend to use them.
Watch your belongings. Lifeguards can not watch your things for you. They often can not stay on tower while performing their job. They are not responsible for storing your belongings in their tower.
Watch your children. Lifeguards can not watch or attend to your children. They are responsible for the entire beach and have to respond to emergencies. Remember: You and you only are responsible for your children.
Do not dive into the water if you can not see the bottom.
Don’t dive into oncoming waves. They can throw you backwards or into the sand and injure you!
KNOW YOUR SURROUNDINGS:
Know what is going on around you.
Read the warning and advisory signs posted at the beach you are at and be mindful of them.
Look for a lifeguard tower and see if they are on duty.
Watch for waves while you are in the water. Remember: NEVER turn your back on the ocean.
Make sure you can safely EXIT the water BEFORE you get into it.
Watch where you place your belongings. Stay away from coned areas on the sand as they usually are marked for a reason (Emergency pathway for lifeguards, paramedics, etc…)
Keep your belongings high enough on the sand that the high tide of the day will not get them wet if you are away.
Look to see what type of bottom there is under the water; sandy or sharp reef? Watch your step!
TALKING WITH THE LIFEGUARDS:
Ask where the safest water is for you and your children. They may tell you that the beach you are at is not safe and will suggest another one. They may also move you to another area of the beach where it is safer.
Ask the lifeguard what the conditions are and if they will change. (an incoming swell may make the same stretch of beach dangerous hours later.)
Ask about any marine life that my be in the area. Jellyfish usually show up on Oahu’s beaches about eight to ten days after the full moon.
Ask about dangerous areas to stay away from or to keep the kids away from.
SOME COMMON THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:
Use a solution of 25 percent white vinegar and 75 percent water to care for jellyfish stings. Lifeguards often carry this solution in their towers.
If stung by a jellyfish DO NOT rub the area affected, little needle like structures called pneumatisists stuck to your skin will push more poison into the skin when stimulated by touch. The white vinegar solution nuetralizes them from pushing more poison into the skin.
Clean and care for any cut, scrape, or broken skin immediately. Use iodine or alcohol to disinfect it. Natural bacteria live on the reef, rocks, animals in the water.
If you or the kids are going to go back in the water after being cut, clean, disinfect and bandage broken skin after you get out of the water or it does no good.
If you are punctured by Vana (Sea Urchins) do not break off the needles by pulling on them. Their tips are barbed and will snap off in the skin. Clean and bandage the area affected. Make sure you keep the area disinfected!! The needles are made of protein and can be partially dissolved with meat tenderizer powder and water solution. (Lifeguards will not remove needles as they are not allowed to. See a health care professional to remove them. Lifeguards do not have meat tenderizer with them.)
KNOW THE OCEAN CONDITIONS:
Know your entry/exit from the water. This includes multiple entry/exits as they may change with the conditions.
If you plan on engaging in ocean going activities choose a beach and ocean conditions that are appropriate for your skill level.
Make sure that your type of activity is allowed on the beach you plan on going to. (i.e. Surfing in designated non-surfing areas.)
Know the type of conditions to expect in the particular season you are in. (i.e. north shore is generally calm and quiet from the end of June till September, any other month the surf can range from 1’-2’ to 20’-25’.)
KEEPING THE KIDS SAFE:
Watch your children. Never let them wander off. Especially in the water. Keep an eye on Toddlers AT ALL TIMES, even if they are right next to you. (Toddlers can drown in two inches of water because of their inability to pick up their head!)
Give your older children boundaries when you get to the beach, tell them where they may and may not go.
Teach your children how to swim.
Have non-swimming kids to stay in chest deep water only. Also have them wear Coast Guard APPROVED life vests ONLY. NEVER trust inflatables. (Water wings are NOT approved flotation devices and can NOT keep a child’s head out of the water!)
Give the small children an easily indentifible landmark to look for so they do not get lost. (A good one is to show them the number and/or letter designation of the lifeguard tower you are closest to.)
Teach your children that they can go to a lifeguard for help.
OAHU'S FAMILY FRIENDLY BEACHES:
Waikiki Beach
Ala Moana Beach Park
Waiamanalo Beach
Kailua Beach
DANGEROUS AREAS:
Places where there is no protection from the incoming sea. (i.e. on the sea side of a rock wall/groin)
Groins and areas where the ocean can sweep you off your feet.
Crevices and holes in the reef, rock walls, underwater structures. Vana (known as sea urchins) grow in-between crevices and under the low tide water mark. They can poke you, break off under your skin, and infect you with the natural bacteria on them. Eels also like holes and crevices and are known to be aggressive and to bite.
Beaches where the shore-break is waist high and above. Shore break can cause serious injuries including; broken bones ( broken necks, shoulders, wrists, knees and skull fractures), concussions, and broken eardrums.
Shallow reef areas (floating over one on a air mattress)
Areas where there are no other people.
Areas where no lifeguards are present.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Are there sharks?
Yes. There are. Many Of them. The good news is that they are not going to come after you because you are in the water. Sharks frequent certain areas and are creatures of habit for the most part. They mainly hunt at dusk to sunrise and in murky waters. In Waikiki and Ala Moana they generally do not come around (heavily populated beaches) they tend to stay away from shallow waters. No, there is no fence to keep them away. To ease your fears, visit the Waikiki aquarium or sea life park and learn about them, they are very interesting creatures!
What do I do if I see a shark?
Stay calm. Try and not splash as you swim to shore. Notify the lifeguard.
What are rip currents?
Rip currents are areas of water that move out towards the open sea from the shoreline. As water gets piled up onshore or in a confined area (such as a cave) by incoming waves and other water movement, the water will find the least resistant way to get back out to open sea. Often channels in the reef and/or the sand will provide a pathway for this water. The water moving in these channels can move very fast and with a greater amount of force than water outside the channels. They are the most dangerous during periods of high surf and/or during low tides.
How do I avoid Rip Currents?
Ask a lifeguard to identify them for you. Also ask where the channels along the shoreline are. Avoid those areas.
What do I do if I get caught in a Rip Current?
Stay calm. Do not try to swim directly into shore. The water is often way to strong to swim against and will only tire you out. If you get caught in a rip current swim parallel to the shore line until you no longer feel the water pushing you out. Then swim into shore. If you must swim in; swim in at an angle, not directly to the shoreline.
What about jellyfish?
The most common type of jellyfish that you can encounter in Oahu’s waters are moon jellyfish, box jellyfish, and portugese man o’ war. Most jellyfish stings are irritating and painful. They can be cared for by lifeguards at their towers with a vinegar and water solution and/or hot packs.
When and Where do Jellyfish come in?
Box jellyfish show up on Oahu’s shores approx. ten days after the full moon. They usually appear for about four or five days then will dissipate. It is not known exactly why these jellyfish influxes come with the moon’s cycle. The Lifeguards will usually have all the information you need to keep you informed about jellyfish influxes. You can also visit a few websites at the END of this BLOG to keep you informed about the next influx of jellyfish. Influxes vary in regard to the amount of box jellyfish. It could be a lot or a little amount of box jellyfish. Jellyfish can usually be found along the shoreline at any beach but are found mostly on Oahu’s southern and eastern shores. Portugese man o’ war are usually found on eastern (Windward) shores.
What do I do If I see a Jellyfish?
If you are in the water swim calmly away from it. Avoid the tentacles as they are what sting you. Inform the lifeguard if you see one in the water or washed up onshore.
GOOD WEBSITES TO VISIT REGARDING BEACH AND OCEAN SAFETY:
www.oceansafety.soest.hawaii.edu/
Gives you up to the minute ocean conditions around the island. Also gives you warnings and alerts for surf and Jellyfish sightings. Make sure you look at the Oahu map.
www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/index.html
Gives you information on local beaches here on the island of Oahu.
www.2sitechawaii.com/freinfoahbea.html
Gives you information on where to go during which months as well as links to The Bus system here on Oahu to get you to those beacheS.
www.isrswimschool.com
Teach your infants to six years olds how to survive in the water. This school gives children the basics on how to survive in the water.
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