As spring break approaches, many people are getting ready for a fun-filled escape to the beach. Whether you’re soaking up the sun or splashing around in the waves, the beach offers plenty of excitement; But it’s important to remember that fun in the sun comes with its own set of risks.
Potential risks at the beach can include: riptides and sunburn, which come with their own safety precautions.
Riptides
The simplest definition of a riptide is a fast, strong moving current that pulls swimmers away from the shore. If you think you can just out swim a riptide, think again. Riptides can reach up to 8 feet per second which would pull you away from the shore in an instant. Trying to fight through the riptide will just tire you out and leave you with no energy to swim back to the shore.
Even though riptides are dangerous, there are ways to make it out of a riptide if caught in one.
If caught in a riptide Stay Calm, panicking will only lead to exhaustion making it harder to swim.
Float/Tread Water instead of trying to fight against the current and focus on either floating or treading water to save energy.
Swim parallel to the shore, once you’ve gotten outside of the rip current, swim sideways and parallel to the shore to leave the current and then once it’s safe, swim towards the beach.
Ask for Help, If there’s a lifeguard on duty, remain calm and allow them to come and rescue you.
Before entering the water, check water conditions, wave height and tides, and refer to the flag warnings which will tell people about the current conditions of the beach.
Dangers Of Sunburn
Sunburn is when someone stays out in the sun for too long and their skin is damaged by the exposure from the ultraviolet(UV) rays from the sun. The immediate effects of sunburn is redness and pain to the skin. Severe sunburn can cause blisters on the skin and also cause dehydration to the body, causing not just your skin to hurt from it, but also your immune system to weaken due to the suppression of your cell’s response.
The long lasting effects of Sunburn can be Skin Aging, which causes wrinkles, fine lines and loss of elasticity in the skin.
The biggest danger of sunburn is Skin Cancer. Skin cancers such as melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma can all be caused from repetitive sunburn. Skin cancer is serious and students need to know this before they try to get the “cool, stylish” tan.
To avoid sunburn, apply sunscreen before you get in the water and make sure it drys before you get in. Also make sure you reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and/or every time you get out of the water.
With these risks and their precautions, Soddy Daisy hopes everyone stays safe on there Spring Break Vacations!
