BVI BEACH SAFETY FLAGS Red & Yellow Flags - mark areas of water that are patrolled by Lifeguards. These are the safest places to swim.
Black & White Chequered Flags - mean an area of water that has been marked out for use by craft, ie. wind surfing and dinghies. Do not swim in this area. Red Flags - indicate danger. Do not swim in the area. At the Baths, Devils Bay & Spring Bay the Red Flag indicates Yachts are prohibited from the mooring field. Yellow Flags - inform swimmers to take caution; weak swimmersare discouraged from entering the water. At the Baths, Devils Bay & Spring Bay the Yellow Flag indicates Yachts should take caution when using the mooring field. Purple Flags - indicate a marine life warning, for example Jelly Fish. This flag may be flown with the Yellow or Red Flags.
For more information www.bvidef.org
Rip Currents Rips are strong currents running out to sea that can easily take swimmers from shallow water out beyond their depth. Rip currents are particularly powerful in large surf conditions but they can also be found around man-made structures like marinas, piers and dinghy docks. It is easy to identify a rip current but here are some common signs to look for: • Discoloured, brown water (caused by sand being stirred up from the sea bed). • Foam on the water’s surface. • A break in the surf line where the waves are not as big. • Debris floating out to sea. • A rippled patch of sea, when the water around is generally calm.
Escape a Rip The most important thing is to remain calm and try not to panic. Keep hold of your body board, surfboard, inflatable and don’t fight the rip current. Signal to someone on the beach that you need help by raising your hand and shouting for help. Try and swim parallel to the beach until you are out of the rip current, then swim towards the shore. Never try and swim directly towards the shore against the rip. If you can stand up, wade instead of swimming. Remember If you see someone in trouble - tell a Lifeguard, call the Police or call VISAR immediately. Tel: 999/911/767
WATCH OUT FOR THE WAVES Waves are formed by the wind blowing across the surface of the sea. The longer the wind blows, the bigger the waves will be. How steeply the beach shelves will also affect the size and type of wave. Lifeguards The BVI beach safety programme began in 2006 and is divided into two parts, the lifeguard programme and the beach safety education programme. Both facets are a huge step for life saving in the Territory. Lifeguards are stationed at particularly dangerous beaches to help prevent accidents and act accordingly in the event of an emergency. Amongst the first beaches to have Lifeguards are Cane Garden Bay and Josiah’s Bay on the north shore of Tortola. The beach safety education programme is an ongoing programme directed at visitors to the Territory and the local population alike. A flag warning system with signs has already been established at a few locations with more to come in the near future. Ocean safety presentations are conducted at all schools and are available for local organizations on request. Surf Life Saving BVI Ltd. is a local non-profit organization that is a full member of the International Life Saving Federation. Under this organization, the Josiah’s Bay Surf Life Saving Club was started in September 2007 as part of the education programme in order to build local capacity in aquatic life saving skills.
TYPES OF WAVES Spilling waves appear when the top of the wave tumbles down the front of the wave. These types of wave are generally the safest for swimming in. Surging waves never actually break. Look out for this type of wave, as they can easily knock people off their feet and drag them back out to sea – especially when standing on rocks, the shoreline or harbour walls. Dumping waves break with great force and in shallow water. These dangerous waves usually occur on reefs and on sand banks or beaches that are steep. Avoid going into the sea when you see dumping waves. For more info, visit • www.bvidef.org • www.surflifesavingbvi.org.
Marine Awareness Guide First Edition 2008
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