Water Safety Tips

Put On a Life Jacket. It Could Save Your Life.

Tips on this page are grouped by topic:

  • Overview
  • At the Beach
  • Boating
  • Backyard Pools
  • Protecting Children in and Around Water
  • Swimming in Lakes and Rivers
  • Jet Skis and Other Personal Watercraft
  • Windsurfing and Sailboarding
  • Rafting and Tubing
  • Water Parks
  • Waterskiing

1. Overview

Summer means long days at the pool or the lake, and that makes water safety a top priority. Federal health data show that thousands of people in the United States die each year from drowning they did not intend or expect. Follow these simple tips to keep yourself and your family safe:

  • Learn how to swim. Every child and adult who spends time near the water should be able to swim.
  • Wear a life jacket. Most drowning victims would have survived if they had been wearing one. Even strong swimmers can be pulled under by hidden obstacles, sudden drop-offs or strong currents.
  • Swim only where swimming is allowed.
  • Never swim alone; bring a buddy.
  • Pay attention to posted signs and follow them.
  • Go into the water feet first.
  • Choose one adult to keep watch over children in the water. Supervise kids closely near any water, and keep them clear of pool drains.
  • Stay off the water when the weather turns bad.
  • Keep every boat equipped with life jackets, a horn or whistle, throwable flotation devices and a fire extinguisher.
  • Do not mix alcohol with water activities. Drinking affects judgment, balance and coordination, weakens swimming and diving ability and makes it harder for your body to stay warm. Always have a sober boat operator.
  • Sign up for a boating safety course.
  • Beware of the dangerous "toos": too far from help, too much sun, too tired, too cold and too much hard exercise.
  • Do not put yourself at risk during a rescue. The safest way to help a struggling swimmer of any age is to toss them something that floats or reach out with a pole or a branch and pull them in. A panicking swimmer can easily drag a rescuer under, turning the rescuer into a second victim.
  • Get trained in CPR. In an emergency, you may be the one who saves a life.
  • Call 911 in any emergency, and give your location or a nearby landmark so rescuers can find you quickly.

2. At the Beach

  • Protect your skin. Stay out of direct sun as much as you can from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB rays.
  • Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated keeps your body cool and your mind sharp.
  • Skip alcohol and caffeine, which make the effects of heat on the body worse.
  • Know the warning signs of heat stroke, a life-threatening condition in which the body can no longer control its temperature. Body temperature can climb high enough to cause brain damage or death. Watch for:
    • Skin that is hot, red and usually dry
    • Changes in alertness or consciousness
    • A fast but weak pulse
    • Quick, shallow breathing
  • If you think someone has heat stroke:
    • Call 911.
    • Get the person to a cooler spot.
    • Cool them down fast by wrapping them in wet sheets and fanning them. Place ice packs or cold packs, if available, at the wrists, ankles, neck and armpits, where large blood vessels are close to the skin.
    • Keep an eye out for breathing trouble and make sure their airway stays open.
    • Have the person stay lying down.
  • Protect your eyes, since the sun's rays can harm them.
  • Protect your feet. Hot sand can cause burns, and broken glass hidden in the sand can cut skin.

3. Boating

  • Knowing how to swim is the single best way to stay safe on or near the water. Adults who learned as children may want to take a refresher class.
  • Never drink while boating. Alcohol plays a role in more than half of all drownings tied to boating.
  • Make sure you and every passenger wear a life jacket approved by the Coast Guard whenever you are boating or fishing.
  • Before every outing, tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back. If something goes wrong, rescuers will know where to begin searching.
  • Take a boating course near you to learn the rules of navigation, how to handle emergencies and how wind, water and weather affect your boat.
  • Keep an eye on the weather. Check local conditions before you go, be ready for lightning, and return to shore the moment thunder or lightning appears.

4. Backyard Pools

  • Anyone who goes into the pool area should be able to swim.
  • Never take your eyes off a child who is near water, not even for a moment.
  • Keep a phone within reach so you can call 911 right away if needed.
  • Learn CPR, and make sure everyone who watches your child knows it too.
  • Hang CPR instructions and emergency phone numbers near the pool.
  • Surround the pool on all sides with a fence that has vertical bars and a gate that closes and latches on its own.
  • Keep furniture and other items away from the fence so children cannot climb over it.
  • Store basic rescue equipment, such as a pole, a rope and flotation devices, beside the pool, and learn how to use it.
  • Put toys away when nobody is swimming, since they can lure young children into the water.
  • Take the pool cover all the way off before anyone swims.
  • If a child goes missing, look in the pool first. Walk to the edge and check the bottom, the surface and the whole area around the pool.

5. Protecting Children in and Around Water

  • Watch children at all times near any water, however well they swim and however shallow the water is. For young children, use "reach supervision" and stay close enough to touch them.
  • Do not count on water wings or inflatable toys to keep a child safe. They can shift, deflate or slip away without warning and leave a child in danger, so they are never a replacement for an adult's attention.
  • Sign children up for swim lessons or a water safety class.
  • Parents should learn CPR so they know how to respond in an emergency.

6. Swimming in Lakes and Rivers

  • Learn to swim before you head to a lake or river.
  • Pick a spot with lifeguards. A trained lifeguard is your best protection in an emergency, because even skilled swimmers can have a medical problem in the water. Do not swim by yourself.
  • Choose a swimming area that is clean and cared for. Tidy restrooms and changing areas and a lack of litter are signs that the operator takes your health and safety seriously.
  • Look for clean water and safe natural surroundings. Cloudy water, submerged objects, sudden drop-offs and thick water plants are all hazards, and polluted water can make swimmers sick. Strong currents, large waves and tides can quickly turn a fun day into a tragedy.
  • Check that the water is deep enough before diving in headfirst. Going in feet first is far safer.
  • Make sure docks and rafts are in good repair. Never swim underneath one, and always check that the area is clear before jumping off.
  • Stay out of drainage ditches and dry streambeds. After a heavy rain, they can become fast-moving torrents strong enough to sweep a person away.

7. Jet Skis and Other Personal Watercraft

  • Anyone taking part in water sports should be able to swim.
  • Texas law requires every rider on a personal watercraft to wear an approved life jacket; inflatable jackets do not qualify. The craft must also have a cutoff or kill switch, with the lanyard attached to the operator's clothing. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department publishes the full state rules for personal watercraft.
  • Ride with courtesy and good sense. Follow the waterway's traffic pattern and respect no-wake and speed zones.
  • Take extra care near swimmers and surfers. Keep your speed low until you are well away from the shore, docks and swimming areas, and do not cut close to other boats or jump their wakes. Doing so is risky and frequently against the law.
  • Never ride alone. Personal watercraft should go out in groups of two or three in case something goes wrong.
  • Do not drink and ride.

8. Windsurfing and Sailboarding

  • Put on a life jacket approved by the Coast Guard every time.
  • In cold water, wear a wet suit to guard against hypothermia.
  • Sailing and windsurfing safely take good physical strength and solid swimming skills.
  • Learn from a qualified windsurfing instructor.
  • Confirm that water and weather conditions are safe, and come ashore at the first sign of thunder or lightning.

9. Rafting and Tubing

  • Wear a life jacket at all times.
  • Do not put too many people or too much gear in the raft.
  • Stay off the river after a heavy rain.
  • Know how to swim.
  • Make sure conditions are safe, and never be on the water in any way during a storm.

10. Water Parks

  • Make sure everyone in your group can swim.
  • Before getting in, confirm that lifeguards are on duty and watching the area.
  • Read the posted signs and do what lifeguards tell you. If you are unsure how to use a ride, ask.
  • Water depth and ride rules can change from one attraction to the next, so check each one before you go in.
  • Ride every water slide feet first and face up.

11. Waterskiing

  • Always wear a life jacket.
  • Check that the boat and all ski gear are in good condition.
  • Shut the motor off completely before approaching a skier who has fallen.
  • Keep your eyes on the water in front of you the whole time.
  • Bring a spotter whose only job is to watch and help the skier.
  • When landing, travel parallel to the shore and come in slowly. If you are moving too fast, sit down.
  • Use standard hand signals to communicate with the driver.
  • Never ski after dark or in restricted zones.
  • Learn to swim.
  • Leave the water at the first sign of a storm, since heavy rain can make some areas dangerous.

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