Spring Break Water Safety Tips
The sun is finally starting to peak out, so that means spring is finally approaching. As the various pandemic and travel-related restrictions are being lifted, it will soon be spring break for thousands of excited revelers. A fun-filled trip can be exciting, but let us never forget basic spring break water safety tips.
Why Spring Break Water Safety?
Basic water safety is crucial all year long. It is important to never fall into a false sense of security. When heading out for a trip, the danger is still quite present. To this end, spring break water safety often brings its own hazards. For one, people on spring break tend to party rather hard. Besides basic swimming safety, there can also be drinking and other substances added to the mix. Before addressing some other water safety concerns, let’s start with that point. Above all, drinking and swimming do not work together. The same goes for drugs and certain medications as well. If you are ingesting any substances that might impair your judgment or mobility, it is advised to stay far away from the water. To make things crystal clear, a report from the American Safety Council indicates that 70% of deaths from recreational water activities involve alcohol. It is remarkably easy to become drowsy or fall into dangerous waters when alcohol or drugs are involved. Above any other spring break water safety tips, it is significantly smarter to keep sober while anywhere near pools, open water or boats.Social Distancing and Spring Break Water Safety
Next, there are still many questions about the pandemic and proper safety procedures. As always, we advise following the advice of medical experts. Beyond that, there is some good news for spring break water safety. As we’ve reported since the beginning of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that there is little chance of transmitting COVID-19 through the water. Swimming is fortunately a safe exercise and activity. That said, be sure to keep your distance from other swimmers and partiers. For any further questions, readers should consult the CDC’s travel and health site.Basic Water Competency Can Save Lives
Try as water experts might to promote swimming lessons, the fact remains that many Americans are simply not very skilled in the water. In fact, according to the Red Cross, roughly half of Americans cannot swim well enough to save themselves from drowning. That’s bad news, but fortunately a bit of education can go a long way. Taking some proper basic swimming lessons should be considered a requirement for spring break water safety. It isn’t required that everyone becomes an expert, but basic water competency is a skill everyone should acquire.This includes simple abilities, including:
- Understanding how to control your breathing in the water
- Learning how to float on your back, while keeping your nose and mouth above water
- Knowing how to enter and exit a swimming pool
