Dangerous Waves and Ways to Avoid Them

One of the many beach dangers this summer season are waves. Dangerous waves can cause your happy and fun vacation to turn into a tragic and scary situation very quickly. Here is some information behind these waves and how to stay safe this summer.

Shorebreaks and high surf are two types of dangerous waves. Shorebreaks are waves that peak and quickly crash onshore. In other words, they break quickly and steeply onshore instead of normal waves that break gradually as they get closer to shore. Typically, these waves occur on sharply sloping beaches. While shorebreaks are normally categorized as large waves, they can still occur when waves are not large. What’s dangerous about shorebreaks is that they can cause trauma injuries, like spinal and neck injuries, as well as potentially leading to drowning. 

High surf are large waves with enough energy to erode beaches, move large logs or wash over piers. Like shorebreaks, high surf can be dangerous to people attending the beach and swimming in these conditions. High surf can rush and extend past the typical high tide waterline and cause people to be knocked over and pulled into the currents, which can ultimately lead to drowning.

There are ways to avoid shorebreaks, high surf and other dangerous waves. 

• Know the weather, tide and surf forecast ahead of time before arriving on the sand. If you forget to look before leaving the house, an attending lifeguard will likely have this information as well. 
• Always attend beaches guarded by lifeguards. Even experienced beach goers can be sucked into dangerous waves and it’s better to err on the side of caution just in case.
• Stay situationally aware and never turn your back on the ocean while standing near the shore.
• If you notice someone struggling in the water, immediately notify a lifeguard if they haven’t noticed already.
• Always protect your head and neck when you are swimming in breaking waves by keeping your hands in front of you at all times. This will help prevent any traumatic injuries.

Knowing these facts before attending the beach can ultimately save you or another person’s life. Now get out there, enjoy the sun, and stay safe this summer!

Source: NWS
Image by Santa from Pixabay