In the third of our blogs on Summer Safety, we head to the beach.
Slap on the sunblock
The first step in being summer safe in NZ and on the beach is to slap on the sunblock! Our skin cancer rates are the highest in the world. In fact, the incidence of melanoma in New Zealand and Australia is around four times higher than in Canada, the US and the UK. Over 300 kiwis die of melanoma every year.
Avoid the beach in the middle of the day and take a siesta instead. When you do head to the sand make sure you’ve used a good sunscreen and cover up as much as possible with hat, sunglasses and clothing. There are heaps of cool rash shirts available for kids and adults. These make a great Christmas present!
Swim safe
Drowning is the fourth highest cause of accidental death in New Zealand - after motor vehicle accidents, falls and poisoning. Surf Life Saving NZ patrol over 80 beaches. But they can’t be everywhere. We need to expect the unexpected and keep our families safe. This means
- Swim between the flags, if there are flags.
- Don’t swim alone.
- Watch out for children. Even if they’re not yours.
- Be aware of the dangers like rips, holes and dangerous waves.
- Know your limits. If you’re not a strong swimmer don’t go out deep.
- Don’t swim in clothes.
If you’re holidaying at a beach you’re not familiar with, learn about it before you get there. Find a beach is a brilliant website, where you can search up beaches and look at their rating for family friendliness, swimming, surfing and fishing as well as safety and hazards at that particular beach,
Plan ahead and keep your family safe.
