Beach Safety Essay

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SURF AWARENESS 1. What are some visual signs that will indicate a rip is present? A rip is a fast flowing current of water moving out towards sea from the beach. There are many visual signs of rips. First of all, in rips, the water is unusually calm and this is caused by water flowing out to sea. There will not be any waves approaching the beach in a rip. Also when a rip is current, the depth of water at the shoreline will look shallower than normal. The water is of a different colour in a rip and often, it is churning or chopping. Another sign is easily seen by seaweed, debris, sediment or other material quickly moving out towards the sea. It is important that you look for any signs of rips before entering the water, more importantly, swim between the flags. 2. What steps would you advise swimmers to take if they were caught in a rip? The first thing to remember when in a rip is not to panic. Do not try to swim against the current, as most people are not fast enough to do so without being pushed further out to sea. Swim sideways, parallel to the beach, as rips are usually narrow and this will get you out of a rip current. After you are out of the rip, swim diagonally away from the rip towards shore. If you are unable to swim out of the rip, tread water and try to float, until you are out of the rip, then swim diagonally towards shore. If you are a weak swimmer and/or you are unable to swim towards shore, yell for help and wave your arms in the air. 3. The term “surfing Awareness” requires the swimmer to be knowledgeable in a number of areas. Give a brief outline of safety considerations involved with the following:- Different wave types There are 3 different types of waves and care must be taken when a wave approaches. These waves are Plunging waves, Spilling waves and Surging waves. Plunging waves are the most dangerous waves as they are

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