bh
Summer is a special time on St. Simons Island. For twelve weeks each year, our sleepy little island becomes a small metropolis with thousands of visitors enjoying the local lifestyle.
And what brings most of our visitors is our wonderful beaches. Of course, when heading to the beach, you need to make sure you stay safe. Here are a few good tips to take with you as your bare feet hit the sand:
1. Be very careful on the sandbars. Sandbars are very appealing and seem easy to walk on, but the tides here are extremely fast and can overwhelm even the best of swimmers within minutes. Most of the rescues that our lifeguard staff responds to are beachgoers getting stuck on sandbars because they just keep walking farther and farther out, not realizing the tide comes in very quickly.
2. Know the tides. Make sure you know when high tide and low tides are going to be. Tide charts are easy to find online and there several apps available too. A helpful site is tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov; just type in your location. If you’re not sure, ask one of the lifeguards.
3. Understand rip currents. Rip currents are strong currents of water that rush out to sea and will easily take you with them if you get caught in them. Do not try to swim against the current. If you get caught in a rip current, start swimming parallel to the beach until you no longer feel yourself being pulled out, then swim back to the beach.
4. Wear sunscreen and eye protection. The sun is much more intense at the beach than in your backyard, so lather on the sunscreen, and make sure your eyes are shielded from UV rays as well. Be sure to re-apply sunscreen at least every 2-3 hours.
5. Drink plenty of water. Being at the beach can dehydrate you. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Limit your consumption of alcoholic beverages.
6. Storms and Lighting. Storms pop up fast during the summer months. A sunny day can turn dark in a matter of minutes. If you see lighting, get off the beach. Most of these summer storms pass within a matter of minutes, so head for safety and come back once the storm passes.
7. Stash your trash. We also want our beaches and oceans to be safe for marine life, so please always take your trash with you when you leave the beach each day.
Leave only your footprints in the sand.
