Being safe at the beach

Maia McGuireFlorida Sea Grant Extension Agent

Beach safety

• Sun protection• Protecting your feet• Safety in the water• Stranger danger

Sun MYTHS

• Dark-skinned people don’t get skin cancer• You won’t get sunburned on a cloudy day; the

clouds block UV rays

Activity

• UV beads (www.teachersource.com)

Sunburns and skin cancer

• Excessive and/or multiple sunburns can lead to skin cancer

• Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the US—nearly half of all cancer cases are skin cancer (most are non-melanomas)

• Almost 12,000 people die of skin cancer each year

Avoiding sunburn

• Seek the shade, especially between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.• Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.• Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.• Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your

entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours.

• Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.

• Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.

Activity

• Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap relay

Activity

• Sunscreen song (and related activities) from http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/sunscreendance.html

Protecting your feet• Wear closed-toed shoes with a heel strap• Crocs are not good water shoes!• Broken glass, barnacles or pieces of oyster

shell can cut your feet• Learn the stingray shuffle!

Safety in the water

• Play/swim near a lifeguard

• Pay attention to the flags…

• Never swim alone

Sharks!

• Most “shark attacks” along the Atlantic coast of Florida are accidental bites (“mistaken identity”) by smaller sharks feeding in the surf zone

• There are ways to avoid being run into by a shark….

• Always stay in groups• Avoid being in the water during darkness or

twilight hours• Do not enter the water if bleeding• Do not wear shiny jewelry in the water• Avoid swimming where people are fishing