You are here: Home > Park safety and other essentials > Beach safety

Beach safety

 

National parks feature some of the most beautiful beaches in NSW. They are often wonderfully isolated - in some cases you'll have the beach to yourself, to swim, walk or relax away from the crowds. However, many national park beaches are not patrolled by lifeguards. When at the beach, it is important to take precautions, such as the following:

• At beaches patrolled by lifeguards, swim between the flags. More information can be found at Surf Life Saving Australia's beach safety webpage.
• At unpatrolled beaches, look out for hazards to yourself and people in your care, swim only in daylight hours and never swim alone. Strong currents and dangerous rips (undertows) can occur even on still days.
• Be careful when walking on rocks - they can be very slippery, and unexpected large waves can occur. Rock fishing can be dangerous and should be undertaken by experienced fishers only. Never fish alone on the rocks and always wear a life jacket.
• Avoid marine stingers. Do not swim if they are visible in the water. Rockpools may contain poisonous animals such as the blue lined octopus that will present a danger to you if they feel threatened.
• Protect your skin by reapplying sunscreen regularly and wearing protective clothing and a hat.
• While shark attacks are rare, helpful information on shark meshing and the precautions swimmers can take to minimise the risk of shark attack can be found at NSW Department of Primary Industry's NSW shark meshing (bather protection) program webpage.
• In the case of an emergency phone 000.

The Australian Beach Safety & Management Program (ABSAMP) has amassed information on every beach in Australia. An edited example of the type of information contained in the database is available for viewing on the Find a Beach or Club pages Surf Life Saving Australia website.

For more tips and information on staying safe in national parks, visit the Park Safety webpage.