Open water swimming – take the right safety precautions
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Open water swimming can be an enjoyable experience when people have the right safety knowledge and preparation. It is important to remember, there are considerably more dangers in winter than in summer months. If you see someone in difficulty, please dial 112 and ask for the coast guard.
Water Safety Ireland
Water Safety Ireland focus on public awareness and education. Tragically, an average of 115 people drown each year in Ireland. Water Safety Ireland strive to reduce these fatalities by increasing water safety awareness and by changing attitudes and behaviours so that our aquatic environments can be enjoyed with confidence and safety.
Water Safety Ireland have a guide to open water safety on their website and have made some videos that are an excellent guide to swimming safely which you can watch below.
Open water swimming – better safe than sorry
This is how experienced Open Water Swimmers enjoy it safely. Safe never swims alone. Safe knows local tides and currents. Safe wears a brightly coloured tow buoy. Sorry? Sorry shouldn’t be in the water.
Open Water Swimming – What’s The Attraction?
Open Water Swimming – What’s The Attraction? Swimmers and dippers speak to feelings of health, happiness and peace of mind. Safety is always their priority
Open Water Swimming Part 1 of 3 – Preparation
Open Water Swimming Part 1 of 3 – Preparation Open water swimmer Dee Newell, takes you through her pre-swim routine so that you know how to prepare for a safe and enjoyable dip.
Open Water Swimming Part 2 of 3 – Your Swim
Open Water Swimming Part 2 of 3 – Your Swim In the second of our open water swimming video series, Dee Newell discusses how to manage your swim so that you get the best experience while always remaining safe.
Open Water Swimming Part 3 of 3 – Getting Out
Open Water Swimming Part 3 of 3 – Getting Out Once you finish your swim and exit onto dryland, it is important to follow some key safety steps. Dee Newell shares her after-swim practices to help you have a safe and enjoyable experience.
Rip Currents │ Swim Between The Flags
Rip Currents │ Swim Between The Flags Rip currents generally emerge in an area of darker water. Often the surface of the water is unsettled and if there are waves, they will be breaking on either side, but not directly in the rip.
People can swept be out to sea extremely quickly in a rip current and will quickly find themselves out of their depth. They need to be aware of the flags and the signs on the beach. A sign will often indicate if there is a rip current in the area and if there is a red flag, that means it’s dangerous to swim.
Our top three tips to stay safe around rip currents: 1. Swim between the red and yellow flags. Red and yellow means its safe to swim. 2. If you find yourself caught in a rip current, remain calm, swim parallel to the beach. This will get you out of the rip current and you will be able to swim in. 3. If you can’t do this, raise your arm and a lifeguard will be there to assist you.
The EPA Bathing Water Team
About the author: The EPA are the environmental regulator. The EPA bathing water team make sure that local authorities carry out their functions under the Bathing Water Regulations and publish the annual bathing water quality report.
The latest information about bathing water quality is always available on beaches.ie and you can follow us on Twitter for incident alerts - @EPABeaches
