Zululand has many beautiful beaches with balmy waters just calling you for a dip.
But it is important to always bear in mind that the ocean can be dangerous. Sadly, many visitors and locals drown at our beaches every year.
Here are a few guidelines you should take note of before heading for the beach:
Ocean safety tips:
• Never swim alone. Always tell someone if you are going to the beach.
• Respect the ocean – never stand with your back to the ocean.
• Only swim in areas manned by lifeguards.
• Make sure your feet can always touch the ground.
• Small children need to be supervised – in other words, hold your child’s hand.
• Do not swim in rough water.
• Before entering the water, look out for rip currents, preferably from an elevated spot.
What does a rip current look like?
Currents are strong jets of water that pull you away from the shore. Look out for:
• Currents are often sandy brown or a different colour than the surrounding water.
• Currents ripple the surface of the sea where there is little wave activity.
• A break in the incoming pattern of waves.
• Seaweed or debris moving away from the shore.
• Isolated turbulent and choppy water in the surf zone.
How to escape a rip current:
• Do not panic.
• Tread water by moving your arms and legs in circular movements. Keep your lungs gently filled with air to help you stay afloat.
• Raise one arm in the air and shout for help.
• Do not try to swim against the current. Let the current take you out to sea.
• The rip current force dissipates the further out to sea it gets, so at your first opportunity, swim parallel to the shore until you are free of the rip. Then use the incoming waves to help you get back to shore.
Spring tide warning
Be extra careful during spring tide. Spring tide happens twice every month at full moon and again at new moon.
Rip currents are at their strongest for a few days leading up to spring tide, peaking on the day of spring tide, and lasting a few days afterwards.
Spring tide rip currents can be so strong that they are known to sometimes sweep people off their feet in ankle deep water and carry people rapidly out to sea.
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