The following safety precautions and rules will help swimmers and beach goers while visiting our city. Before you step foot in the water, check the flag rating system or consult with a lifeguard about ocean conditions.

Runouts

A runout forms when water is trying to get past a shallow sandbar. The water finds a weak spot in the sandbar and breaks through. To avoid being caught in a runout, always swim in front of a lifeguard in waist deep water or less. If caught in a runout:

• Do not panic!
• Do not swim against the runout.
• Let the flow pull you out to sea - a runout will not pull you under, only outward.
• Once it has taken you out to its capacity, calmly swim with the current parallel to the beach.
• When you are out of the force of the outward flow, swim toward shore.

Currents

Swimmers who are not familiar with currents may enter the ocean for a swim and end up blocks away from where they started. These currents often move swimmers into dangerous areas. It is a good idea to spot a landmark