Beach safety tips

Hoag Hospital’s Project Wipeout aims to prevent neck and spinal cord

injuries while at the beach. Here are some tips:

* Learn to swim. If you can’t swim and overhead stroke for at least 15

minutes, you should not be in the ocean.

* Never swim alone, and swim near a lifeguard whenever possible.

* Check with a lifeguard to find out where shallow and deep areas are

located. Do not assume that the ocean floor has an even bottom. The sandy

ocean floor is constantly changing with the currents, creating both deep

holes and shallow sandbars within minutes.

* Don’t run from the beach into the water and dive headfirst into the

waves. Sandbars that can’t be seen from the surface may be present or the

water may be too shallow, or both.

* Don’t jump or dive into the water from a pier or rock jetty. From

the viewpoint of a pier or jetty, water appears much deeper than it

really is. What looks like 10 to 20 feet of water may only be 2 to 3 feet

deep. Diving in could be fatal.

* If you’re bodysurfing or Boogie boarding, always keep your arms out

in front of you to protect your head and neck. Always wear fins and a

board leash.

* Stay out of the “surf zone,” where the waves break. Waves are at

their most forceful here, and even a small wave can lift you up and throw

you into the sand. Avoid this by not trying to catch a wave too late or

by ducking under the wave.

* If you are pulled out to sea by a rip current, don’t panic. A rip

current will pull you away from the shore, but it will not pull you

under. Just swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the rip, then

swim in on to shore.

* If you are in trouble, call or wave for help.

* Never drink or use drugs at the beach. It clouds your ability to

make wise decisions, and that could be fatal.