Safety Tips from the CDC

What do surfing, fishing, water skiing, and swimming have in common? They are all lots of fun…and they all take place in, on, or around the water! Water activities are a great way to stay cool and have a good time with your friends or your family. Take along these tips — and your common sense — to get wet, make waves, and have a blast!

Top Ten Tips

• DO learn to swim. If you like to have a good time doing water activities, being a strong swimmer is a must.
• DO take a friend along. Even though you may be a good swimmer, you never know when you may need help. Having friends around is safer and just more fun!
• DO know your limits. Watch out for the “too’s” — too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much hard activity.
• DO swim in supervised (watched) areas only, and follow all signs and warnings.
• DO wear a life jacket when boating , jet skiing, water skiing, rafting, or fishing.
• DO stay alert to currents. They can change quickly! If you get caught in a strong current, don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the shore until you have passed through it. Near piers, jetties (lines of big rocks), small dams, and docks, the current gets unpredictable and could knock you around. If you find it hard to move around, head to shore. Learn to recognize and watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip currents — water that is a weird color, really choppy, foamy, or filled with pieces of stuff.
• DO keep an eye on the weather. If you spot bad weather (dark clouds, lighting), pack up and take the fun inside.
• DON’T mess around in the water. Pushing or dunking your friends can get easily out of hand.
• DON’T dive into shallow water. If you don’t know how deep the water is, don’t dive.
• DON’T float where you can’t swim. Keep checking to see if the water is too deep, or if you are too far away from the shore or the poolside.