Staying Safe at the Beach

How to stay safe at the beach- an important but sometimes tricky-to-navigate part of the holidays!

With the summer holidays and warmer days on the horizon, opportunities for a relaxing dip in the sea are almost upon us!

OA Surf Club is fortunate enough to have Widemouth Bay as our office. A welcoming, sandy haven that boasts surf in abundance for locals and holidaymakers alike.

However the ocean is an unpredictable force of nature. Even on the calmest water day, there can be hazards that will catch out unsuspecting beach-goers.

Here we break down the most common beach hazards beachgoers encounter and discuss how to avoid/ navigate them.

 

Rip Currents

Rip currents are a naturally occurring phenomena found at most beaches around the world in some variation.

Water is very lazy. As breaking waves bring water into land, the water will try to find the easiest way back out to sea. This is usually around rocks/ headlands or through deeper channels in the ocean floor.
There are multiple different kinds of rip current that form due to the topography of the beach, the shifting of the tides, and even man-made factors.

Thankfully, at Widemouth Bay, the most common rip currents we encounter are predictable. There is a ‘permanent’ rip current along the right side of the bay close to the rocks. Also, you may encounter ‘fixed’ rip currents throughout the summer caused by shifting sand banks throughout season. It is incredibly rare that flash rips occur at Widemouth Bay, but not impossible.

Rip currents are particularly dangerous as they appear to the untrained eye as a safe area to enter the water. One of the most notable characteristics of a rip current is the lack of waves breaking in that zone, which often results in people gravitating to them for a swim.

How To Avoid:

Always swim between the red and yellow flags!

Fortunately Widemouth Bay is manned daily from 10am to 6pm by the Bude RNLI service. This means that the lifeguards will make daily assessments on the surf conditions and any rips present at the beach, and mark out the safe areas with flags.

Red and yellow indicates the safe swim/ bodyboarding areas, while black and white are for hard surf craft. If the beach is ‘red flagged’, that means that the conditions are not safe and entering the water is not advised.

By sticking to the flagged areas, you will avoid entering the water in any unsafe locations.

How To Escape:

Very rarely you may encounter ‘flash rips’. They are the result of a 'gutters' created in the sand by water currents. Alternatively, if you are outside of the lifeguard flags/ at a beach that’s unmanned, there is the potential to enter the water and find yourself in deep water.

The most important thing to remember is not to panic. If you are at a beach with lifeguards on patrol, you can signal for assistance by putting your arm in the air with a closed fist and waving it to and fro’. This will indicate to lifeguards that you are in distress and require assistance.

However, if you don’t have lifeguards present, there are a few key things to remember in order to escape a rip:

DON’T try to swim against the current straight back to shore, you’ll never swim faster than the rip in travelling out to sea.
DO swim parallel to the beach so that you exit the current from the side and put yourself into the surf zone, this is where the waves will be breaking and you will be able to swim back to shore from here.

DON’T panic if you swim parallel and find you’re still in the channel, rip currents can vary in size and so long as you keep going, you will eventually find yourself back on the sand bar
DO consider allowing the current to take you all the way out behind the surf break if you are running out of energy to swim. If you float on your back and focus on conserving energy, the current will naturally bring you out to the calmer waters behind the surf break. From there you can swim parallel to the beach and swim back to shore.

DON’T panic, panic is more deadly than the rip current itself and is usually what causes people to find themselves in distress.
DO stay calm, focus on your breathing and try to keep a cool, rational mind.

Big Surf

The ocean is ever changing and sometimes conditions can be misleading. Even at Widemouth Bay when the conditions are right the beach can produce bigger, more powerful waves. Having a basic understanding of the beach you plan to visit and how it is affected by different tides is important for a safe and enjoyable visit.

The size of waves is all relative. A small day to one person may be challenging swell to a less experienced beach user. It’s important to know where your limits are both as a swimmer and in surf experience before entering the water.

Often beach goers will find themselves in trouble as they enter the water on days where conditions are stronger than they seem. For example, when there’s a larger wave period and a smaller estimated swell the power of the waves will increase i.e. 2ft @ 15s can be bigger than 3ft @ 9s.

How To Avoid:

Check surf forecasts before heading to the beach to better understand what kind of conditions you can expect.

Always aim for a lifeguard manned beach and only enter the water where the lifeguards have placed the flags.

If you’re unsure how safe the conditions are for your ability level, chat to the lifeguards or a local surf school for advice.

If in doubt, simply don’t paddle out!

 

How To Escape:

Try to signal to lifeguards or other beach users that you are in distress and require assistance.

Don’t let go of your surf craft no matter what, it floats!

Stay calm and keep your eyes on the surf, rather than the shore. If you can see when the next wave is about to hit, you can prepare better.

Time the hold downs. As scary as being held under by bigger waves can be, if you count the seconds you’ll find you’re not underwater nearly as long as you think. This will help you stay calm while you wait for assistance/ get yourself out of the surf.

 

Sunburn/ Heat Exhaustion

It’s no secret that even in Cornwall, here in England we don’t often get a lot of sun exposure!

Staying safe at the beach doesn't always occur within the water. When spending the day on the sand, particularly during the height of summer, protecting yourself from the elements is very important.

Developing sun stroke isn’t a pleasant experience for anyone, and it can be incredibly serious in extreme cases.

How To Avoid:

Stay hydrated.

Wear high factor sunscreen.

Wear a hat.

Take time in the shade.

Try to avoid being out at noon when the sun is at it’s most powerful.

How To Treat:

Slowly cool your skin with a cool shower/ damp towel.

Apply after sun.

Drink plenty of water to rehydrate.

Stay out of the sun and move to a cool location.

 

Weever Fish

Weever fish are a small species of fish found in the shallow waters around UK coastlines, including Widemouth Bay here in Bude.

They can grow to a length of over 30cm and can be identified due to being brown in colour with a distinctive black dorsal fin and tail.

This dorsal fin contains venomous spines that can sting us if we come into contact with them.
Most people experience a Weever Fish sting on their feet due to stepping on the small fish when entering the water. However, stings in other areas can happen for example by rolling in the sand whilst playing in the shallows.

Weever Fish stings can feel quite similar to a bee or wasp sting, with patients often describing the sensation of the affected area being ‘on-fire’. The pain from a Weever sting can be quite intense and often frightening to those who are unaware of the animals’ existence, or who have never experienced a sting before.

How To Avoid:

When entering the water, shuffle out rather than step when in the shallows.

Wear wetsuit boots/ shoes to protect your feet.

Try not to spend time in the shallows rolling around/ sitting/ jumping into waves.

How To Treat:

Soak the affected area in warm (as hot as the casualty can tolerate!) water for 10-15 minutes. This will help the protein-based venom to break down and ease symptoms.

Once the pain has subsided, check for remaining spines and remove carefully with tweezers if required.

Avoid using anything other than hot water to treat, alternative treatments are all myths and will not ease symptoms.

If the symptoms persist, or the sting is experienced in the face/ genital area, seek further medical care.

 

Rocks vs Sand

The makeup of the beach at Widemouth bay is ever changing. Storm swells can drag rocks up onto the beach from deeper out at sea, and breaking waves can dig out rocks that are submerged in the sand, exposing them.

As a result sometimes the beach at Widemouth will be pristine sand as far as the eye can see. Other times however, you will find bands of rocks covering the high tide water line along the entire stretch of the bay.

These rocks can be problematic for beach users walking along them to access the water. But even more so for beginner surfers who may be catching waves directly over the rocky surface.

How To Avoid:

Wear shoes to walk down to the water in order to protect your feet and prevent injury to toes.

Try to avoid surfing at high tide when the rock bands are present so that you’re not catch waves over hard ground.

Learn how to safely dismount your surfboard if you find yourself surfing over rocks, especially in shallow water.

Try to find larger/ flatter stones to walk across where possible.

How To Treat:

If any cuts/ grazes occur, clean the injury with a sterile wipe/ saline solution and bandage the area.

Use RICE (rest, ice, comfy position, elevation) for any twisted ankles caused by shifting stones underfoot.

Anything head/ neck related or more severe injuries as a result of contact with the rocks, seek medical attention.

Spending time at the beach is an incredible experience for all. We’re incredibly lucky here at OA Surf Club to have daily access to the beautiful Widemouth Bay.

Hazards are an unavoidable part of nature, and staying safe at the beach is essential. However, so long as beach users take care, then spending your summer on the sand cannot be recommended more!

While ball games, sunbathing and swimming are all immensely fun, there’s no feeling quite like catching your first wave. Consider booking a surf lesson with OA Surf Club right here at Widemouth Bay to make your summer even more special!

No matter how you choose to spend your time at the beach this summer- remember to always stay safe both in the water and on the beach.