Swimming Safety Tips for Your Teen

When the temperature begins to rise, the first thing on most people's minds would be to hit the beaches or swimming pools. But getting lost in the excitement and fun could make you, especially your teens, lose sight of needed precautionary measures on water safety. As easily negligible as they usually are, their significance cannot be argued upon. One false move could already mean a lifetime of regret and serious losses. To help keep your teens' swimming fun from getting spoiled by unwanted injuries, see to it that they are aware of these swimming safety tips:

• Advice them to never swim alone.

It is best for your kid or anyone else for that matter never to swim out alone. Doing so can endanger them in the sense that no one would be alerted should they encounter any injury.

• Have them learn life-saving skills for emergencies.

Life-saving skills like CPR and certain rescue methods could mean saving the life of a person in emergency cases. With the hazards that come with swimming, having your kids learn them would surely come in handy.

• Tell them to keep their swimming limitations in mind all the time.

Needless to say, your teen's swimming capacity determines the water depth he can tackle. Advice him never to underestimate water depth no matter what, for drowning and injuries are more likely if he does. If he is a good swimmer and he would be swimming with friends who can't swim, he must look out for them and advice them to stay close to the shore.

• Make sure that they only swim in safe areas where lifeguards are always present.

Swimming in areas with no lifeguards present can be dangerous for kids. The changeability of water currents in seas/lakes/rivers as well as other unforeseen factors could seriously put them at risk. To help keep them safe, advice them to only swim in areas where lifeguards are present.

• Advice them to be extra careful with diving.

Diving is thrilling and fun, but it can also be deadly if you are not careful. Diving-related injuries often result to damage in the spinal column, paralysis, and at times even death. To help your teens stay safe, advice them to only dive in designated safe diving areas. Lakes and rivers may have cloudy waters, hence, it would be hard to determine the depth or see any rocks or unwanted protrusions that could pose serious risks for the diver.

• Make sure they have proper sun protection.

Being in the water does not spare anyone from the harmful rays of the sun. Moreover, sun reflected off the water surface or sand further strengthens the potency of its rays. Have your kids stay safe by frequently applying water-proof sun protection.

• Tell them to drink up regularly.

Swimming under the heat of the sun puts them at risk of getting dehydrated faster than usual. To prevent this, tell them to drink up fluids except alcoholic beverages regularly.

• Warn them about swimming in cold waters.

Because body temperature drops faster in water than on land, being in cold waters can deplete body heat faster, especially when the person is swimming. Advice your kids to pay close attention to their body temperature when the water is cold. Also, it would be best not to swim too far from the shore. Shivering and cramping are automatic indications that they should get out of the water right away because these mean that it won't be long before hypothermia sets in.

• Tell them not to go swimming after taking alcoholic drinks.

Swimmers who drank alcohol before hitting the water take up a large number or reported swimming casualties and injuries. This is particularly true for boys. Because alcohol can dull perception and physical reflexes, it could pose serious dangers for drunk kids who go for a swim.