Whether heading to the beach on holiday or escaping the heatwave at home, a sunny day by the sea can quickly turn risky if you're not prepared. Busy beaches, changing weather and unpredictable currents pose hazards, especially when children are involved.

In the last 5 years, 37% of accidental drownings in open water in the UK occurred at the beach, shore or coast.*

The main thing parents should first consider before anything else is whether it’s safe to get in the water at all. But how do you know when it's okay to do so?

Here's some essential advice to follow before going for a dip, including the signs to look out for, the dangers of inflatables and more.

Skip to a specific section:

• The Water Safety Code
• Rip Currents
• Tides
• Stay Together
• Inflatables
• Swimwear
• Beach Flags

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Follow the Water Safety Code to Stay Safe at the Beach

Every parent should be familiar with The Water Safety Code. Consider sharing this with your children before your next trip to the coast.

In an Emergency...

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Beach Water Safety

Don't be fooled by calm-looking seas. You might arrive at the beach to find calm waters, but conditions can change quickly, and there can be unseen danger below the calm surface! Here are a few beach water safety aspects to know before you have a fun day out at the beach or in the sea.

Rip currents

Rip currents are one of the greatest and most common hazards on beaches - they are especially dangerous because they can quickly drag people out to sea and are often invisible.

Rip currents are currents of water typically flowing from the shoreline back to the sea. They are commonly formed by a build-up of water on the beach caused by waves and tidal motion. They can also form where an estuary runs into the sea.

If you get caught in a rip, it can quickly take you out of your depth," she says. "People try to swim as quickly as they can to the beach if caught in one. But they need to swim parallel to the beach and use the float action to regain composure. They should ensure they can breathe properly and then shout for help."

How to escape a rip current

• Call for help.
• If you have a surfboard, keep hold of it.
• Do not try to swim back to shore as that is against the current.
• Swim parallel to the shore; this ensures you are swimming out of and not back into
  the rip current.
• Once out of the rip current, swim towards the shore, being careful to avoid being drawn back
  in by feeder currents.

Read our blog to find out more detailed information about how to spot one and what to do if you get into difficulty:

Understanding Rip Currents Blog

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Tides

Every year, people are caught out by rapidly rising water and end up trapped in isolated bays. If you plan to visit a beach or bank affected by the tide, ensure you know the tide times to avoid becoming cut off.

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Stay close, even on lifeguarded beaches

Don't forget to check whether there's a lifeguard available on the beach you're visiting or staying near. However, even on lifeguarded beaches, parental supervision is still the most important factor - especially when it’s crowded and kids are harder to track. The lifeguard is there if something goes wrong, and to help educate on beach safety, but ultimately, it's a parent's or guardian's responsibility to supervise their child and be with them at all times to enjoy the water with their child. Stay together – and always keep children within arm’s reach.

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Think twice about inflatables!

That blow-up unicorn might be cute, but it will be dangerous if the wind picks up. The RLSS UK don't recommend people use inflatables at beaches because you could get caught by the wind and taken out of your depth, which would be extremely dangerous.

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Choose your swimwear colours wisely

What your child wears can make a big difference. RLSS UK supported On the Beach’s recent safety campaign, which found that two-thirds of children wear swimwear in colours that are invisible underwater, such as white, grey, or blue. Swimwear should be bright and/or fluorescent colours, such as pink, yellow, red, purple, or green, so that it is easy to spot.

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British beach flag signs and what they mean

The beach flag system shows swimmers where it’s safe to swim – and where it’s not. Beach flags are different across the world. If there’s no flag, that doesn’t mean it’s automatically safe. Always check for lifeguards or posted warnings – and err on the side of caution if in doubt. 

Here are the most commonly used beach flags on British beaches and what they mean:

Red
Do not go into the water

Red half over yellow
Lifeguarded area – swim between the flags

Orange wind sock
Shows the direction of the wind

Black and white quarters
Surfing area, swimmers keep out

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*Source: WAID 2020-2024. Data from 2020-2023 was enhanced in 2024 and may differ from earlier releases.