By Justin Broman, Lead Lifeguard

When visiting the beach, the main thing on everyone’s mind is to have fun playing in the water and relaxing in the sand, while taking in the beautiful scenery and the warmth of the sun. In the City of Sunny Isles Beach, the Ocean Rescue Division wants to give you all the resources that you will need to ensure a safe trip to our beach.

As beautiful and inviting as the ocean is, it can also be dangerous if you are not prepared.  The first and main thing with the ocean is that you must respect it. The ocean has changing currents, switching tides, and sandbars in some areas and deep holes in other areas. There can be rough waves, strong Rip Currents and sometimes dangerous marine life. The ocean can also be flat as a lake with crystal clear waters. Therefore, when you and your family are planning a trip to the beach it is always good to be prepared to have fun while being safe. Prior from leaving  your house you can call the beach condition hotline(305-792-1940) which will let you know the tides, air and water temperatures, weather conditions and possible hazards. Once you are at the beach, safety flags located at all lifeguard towers will let you know what kind of water conditions are there at that moment.

When you arrive at the beach, you can always check with a working lifeguard and look at the condition board that is posted behind each tower. Ask the working lifeguard of any possible changes or hazards, and feel free to ask any questions you might have.  Have a great holiday season and we hope to see you at the beach!
            
Here are some very useful beach safety tips

Always swim near a lifeguard
Learn how to swim; its fun
Never swim alone, swim with a buddy; it’s safer
Do not overestimate your swimming abilities, know your limitations
Never drink alcohol and swim
Keep a safe distance away from jetties and piers
Never dive into shallow or unknown waters
Swim only in the daytime
Always be aware of your surroundings including marine life
Protect yourself from the sun using sunscreen and a hat
Supervise children closely, even when lifeguards are present
Don’t rely on floatation devices, such as rafts, you may lose them
Follow regulations and lifeguard directions
If you are in trouble, call or wave for help
Always swim in designated swim zone
Stay hydrated, drink a lot of water
If caught in a rip current, relax and swim sideways, parallel to the shore until free
Never swim against or straight into a Rip current, it will exhaust you
If there are big waves and you are in doubt, don’t go out!