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Water Safety Tips
These General Water Safety Tips will help you stay safe in,
on, and around the water! Check out our additional safety tips below for
specialized aquatic activities.
- 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 the Lincoln Way 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
judgment, 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 at the first indication of bad weather.
- Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies.
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- Protect your skin: Sunlight contains two kinds of UV rays
-- UVA increases the risk of skin cancer, skin aging, and other skin diseases.
UVB causes sunburn and can lead to skin cancer. Limit the amount of direct
sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear a sunscreen
with a sun protection factor containing a high rating such as 15.
- Drink plenty of water regularly and often even if you do
not feel thirsty. Your body needs water to keep cool. Avoid drinks with
alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you feel good briefly but make the
heat's effects on your body worse. This is especially true with beer, which
dehydrates the body.
- Watch for signs of heat stroke: Heat stroke is
life-threatening. The victim's temperature control system, which produces
sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so
high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly.
Signals include hot, red, and dry skin; changes in consciousness, rapid, weak
pulse, and rapid, shallow breathing. Call 9-1-1 or your local EMS number. Move
the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body by wrapping wet sheets
around the body and fan it. If you have ice packs or cold packs, place them on
each of the victim's wrists and ankles, in the armpits and on the neck to cool
the large blood vessels. Watch for signals of breathing problems and make sure
the airway is clear. Keep the person lying down.
- Wear eye protection: Sunglasses are like sunscreen for your
eyes and protect against damage that can occur from UV rays. Be sure to wear
sunglasses with labels that indicate that they absorb at least 90 percent of
UV sunlight.
- Wear foot protection: Many times, people's feet can get
burned from the sand or cut from glass in the sand.
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- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim. This includes anyone participating
in any boating activity. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for
people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact
the Lincoln Way Chapter.
- 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.
- Look for the label: 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.
- 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.
- Watch the weather: Know local weather conditions and
prepare for electrical storms. Watch local news programs. Stop boating as soon
as you see or hear a storm.
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- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children.
The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming
ability. To enroll in a course to learn or improve your ability to swim,
contact the Lincoln Way Chapter.
- Never leave a child unobserved around water. Your eyes must
be on the child at all times. Adult supervision is recommended.
- Install a phone by the pool or keep a cordless phone nearby
so that you can call 9-1-1 in an emergency.
- Learn Red Cross CPR and insist that babysitters,
grandparents, and others who care for your child know CPR.
- Post CPR instructions and 9-1-1 or your local emergency
number in the pool area.
- Enclose the pool completely with a self-locking,
self-closing fence with vertical bars. Openings in the fence should be no more
than four inches wide. If the house is part of the barrier, the doors leading
from the house to the pool should remain locked and be protected with an alarm
that produces sounds when the door is unexpectedly opened.
- Never leave furniture near the fence that would enable a
child to climb over the fence.
- Always keep basic lifesaving equipment by the pool and know
how to use it. Pole, rope, and personal flotation devices (PFDs) are
recommended.
- Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys
can attract young children into the pool.
- Pool covers should always be completely removed prior to
pool use.
- To learn more about home pool safety, you can purchase the
video It Only Takes a Minute from your local Red Cross chapter.
- If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge
of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the
surrounding pool area.
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- Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any
water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet, bucket of water), no
matter what skills your child has acquired and no matter how shallow the
water.
- Don't rely on substitutes. The use of flotation devices and
inflatable toys cannot replace parental supervision. Such devices could
suddenly shift position, lose air, or slip out from underneath, leaving the
child in a dangerous situation.
- Enroll children in a water safety course or Learn to Swim
program. Your decision to provide your child with an early aquatic experience
is a gift that will have infinite rewards. These courses encourage safe
practices. You can also purchase a Community Water Safety manual at the
Lincoln Way Chapter.
- Parents should take a CPR course. Knowing these skills can
be important around the water and you will expand your capabilities in
providing care for your child. You can contact your local Red Cross to enroll
in a CPR for Infants and Child course.
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- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children.
The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming
ability. To enroll in swim course, contact the Lincoln Way Chapter.
- 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 feet first 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.
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- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children.
The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming
ability. Contact your the Lincoln Way Chapter for information on courses.
- 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.
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- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim. This includes anyone participating
in any water sport or boating activity. The American Red Cross has swimming
courses for people of any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim
course, contact your the Lincoln Way Chapter.
- 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.
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- 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, the Lincoln Way 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.
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- 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 you are 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.
- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim. This includes anyone participating
in any water sport. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of
any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact the Lincoln
Way Chapter.
- 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.
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Snorkeling
- Practice in shallow water.
- Check the equipment carefully and know how it functions.
- Learn how to clear water from the snorkel.
- Learn how to put your mask back on when you tread water.
- Be careful not to swim or be carried by a current too far
from shore or the boat.
- Never snorkel alone.
- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim. This includes anyone participating
in any water sport. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of
any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact the Lincoln
Way Chapter.
- 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.
Back to the top
Surfing
- Take lessons from an experienced individual.
- Wear a wet suit when in cold water.
- Never surf alone.
- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim. This includes anyone participating
in any water sport. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of
any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact the Lincoln
Way Chapter.
- 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.
Back to the top
Tubing and Rafting
- Always wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
- Do not overload the raft.
- Do not go rafting after a heavy rain.
- When rafting with a tour company, make sure the guides are
qualified. Check with the local chamber of commerce for listings of accredited
tour guides and companies.
- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim. This includes anyone participating
in any water sport. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of
any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact the Lincoln
Way Chapter.
- 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.
Back to the top
Waterparks
- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children.
The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming
ability. To enroll in a swim course, contact the Lincoln Way Chapter.
- Be sure the area is well supervised by lifeguards before
you or others in your group enter the water.
- Read all posted signs. Follow the rules and directions
given by lifeguards. Ask questions if you are not sure about a correct
procedure.
- When you go from one attraction to another, note that the
water depth may be different and that the attraction should be used in a
different way.
- Before you start down a water slide, get in the correct
position -- face up and feet first.
- Some facilities provide life jackets at no charge. If you
cannot swim, wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Check others in your
group as well.
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Water Skiing
- 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.
- Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in
and around the water is to learn to swim. This includes anyone participating
in any water sport. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of
any age and swimming ability. To enroll in a swim course, the Lincoln Way
Chapter.
- 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.
Back to the top
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