Want to boost your “Blue IQ?” Join ocean and coastal safety expert Bruckner Chase for the full Blue IQ video series that educates beachgoers about common threats in coastal waters. The series addresses the disconnect between ocean conditions and what people think they know about beach safety and their swimming strength.

Transcript

Bruckner Chase (Host): Most of us may think we know all about the ocean when swimming or even just playing in the waves. But there is so much more. With a little help from some of the best college athletes of the fields, courts, and pools we all know, our team is going to raise your “Blue IQ” so every beach visit stays safe and fun.

Not Sure? Stay On Shore!

Where water, weather, and waves meet, be the smartest person on the beach.

You know how to navigate and stay safe in the familiar world around you. What about the ocean and beaches you love to visit but don't see every day? Are you ocean smart?

Student Basketball Player: I know basketball.

Student Volleyball Player: I know volleyball.

Student Soccer Player: I know soccer.

Student Football Players: We know football.

Student Swimmers: We know swimming.

Student Athlete (voice in head): We don't know the ocean.

Bruckner Chase: Knowing that you don't know can make you the smartest and safest person on any beach.

When you arrive, watch and study the waves, water, and everything on the beach from a safe, dry place. Notice where breaking waves wash up the beach and water flows back to the ocean. That dynamic area is the “swash zone.” It can hide submerged dangers, swirling currents, unswimmable conditions, and even the start of rip currents.

Read the swash zone like a basketball player reads the defense. Plan how to move forward and how to get out of trouble. Be the smartest person on any beach and find the safe path to score a great beach day.

Staying Safe in Ocean Currents

Sometimes the best way to spend a day on the beach is on the sand. Swimming in the ocean is not like swimming in a pool. Let’s take a minute to make sure you always end up safely back on dry sand.

They are some of the best in these waters, and to most of us, these waters will look and feel familiar. But these waters are a different story. Every beach can have its own potentially dangerous conditions and challenges. Just swimming here is a completely different sport.

In the ocean, your swimming ability has to match the demands of the weather, waves, and currents surrounding you. Even if you're great in the pool, you may not be ready for the ocean.

Fast or slow, currents can be relentless and deadly, whether pulling you into deeper water or dragging you along the beach into dangerous areas.

Gradual changes can be the most dangerous. You may not recognize what's happening until you have a long fight back to safety.

Caught in the current? Just relax. The direction of the current — and not the position of the beach — matters most. For any current, first swim perpendicular — or at an angle — to the direction it's moving you. When you no longer feel or see yourself being moved by the current, you can now swim straight to the beach.

If you can't swim back on your own, relax. Float on your back and wave towards shore. This will give professional rescuers the time they need to help you get back to safety.

Can you easily swim a length of the pool? If you were in trouble, swimming that same distance in the ocean with currents and crashing waves can feel impossible. A short distance swim to get out of a current is not the same as swimming up and back in a pool.

If you don't know how your ocean swimming stacks up, don't go.

Playing Safe in the Waves

There is a lot to learn from watching and understanding the water and waves. Let’s say you decide to head out past the waves, or you’re watching your friends or family head into the water. Being a strong athlete or pool swimmer may not mean much in the ocean. But knowing just a little more about the beach and yourself can keep you and others safe.

She is one of the best on this court at seeing how to cut through challenges and score. She knows how to get out of trouble and she knows the game.

The ocean is a different kind of court and it can mean trouble for any visitor.

What about just playing in the waves? Not respecting the power of the waves and not knowing how to move through them can make playing dangerous.

Just a two foot wave can hit hard. How hard? The two foot wave hit contains about 500 pounds of water.

Everyone loves to play in the waves, but are you prepared for them? For waves below your chest, turn sideways and brace against them. If the wave is above your chest, duck underwater and dig your fingers in the sand. Keep your arms extended to protect your neck from shallow sandbars or submerged hazards.

When heading back in, look, listen, and feel the waves coming up behind you. Always keep an eye on the ocean until your feet are on dry sand.

Check the Weather, Water, and Waves

If you are planning to hang out where weather, water, and waves meet, the forecast to know to stay safe is more than just rain or shine. Ready to learn how surf forecasts and predictions can impact your day at the beach? Grab your phone.

He is one of the best on this field. He knows how to factor in the weather and wind before he touches the ball.

Heading to the ocean, we also need to stay safe. Here, the weather check needs to include surf, winds, tides, and storms.

Find the forecast you really need by searching “NOAA surf forecast” and the name of the beach you're visiting. That link should tell you how the weather may impact your fun and safety at your beach.

Ocean tides are water levels rising and falling in the ocean. And water is always moving to and from the shore. Changing tides and depths can make submerged objects and waves more dangerous, or currents stronger.

You need to be aware of winds at the shore. Blowing from the beach, they can push you further from safety. Blowing towards the beach, they can make waves and water turbulent, chaotic, and unsafe.

At the beach, conditions can become threatening in minutes. So, be prepared to change your plans for your day at the beach. Always know the surf and coastal forecast before you go.

Keeping Yourself and Others Safe

Even after years of visits to your favorite beach, there is always more to learn. And staying situationally aware of everything around you is the first step to keeping yourself and others safe. From the court to the field to the beach, things can change fast. And on the beach, that can mean danger. If something goes wrong, know when to take a time-out to call the next right play. Let’s take ten.

Wherever we are, situational awareness of the people and events around us help us protect our team, friends, family, and ourselves. Conditions at the beach are always changing, so our awareness and choices matter every minute.

Make guarded beaches your first choice so ocean professionals are on your team. Be aware of where to find help and the beach name or landmarks so you can help rescuers find you fast if you have to call 911. Stay aware of safe places and safe paths to get there, whether you're in the water or on the sand.

If you see someone in trouble, the only play to call is “take ten.” Stay calm and take ten seconds to plan the next steps: signaling to others, calling 911, and protecting yourself first.

Don't become a tragic second victim. Look for something that can work as a rescue float or throw rope so you can reach further and help the person in trouble keep their head above water.

Never make direct contact with a panicking victim who may drag you under with them. From a few feet away, and hopefully with your feet in the sand, reach to them with a towel or float and pull them towards safety.

Sometimes the most important thing you can do is keep a victim calm so rescuers have time to arrive.

Thanks for joining our team on this coastal journey to raise your Blue IQ. On, in, or near the water at any beach, always respect the ocean. When it comes to going in the water, if you don’t know, don’t go. See you at the beach.