Our top 3 tips for staying safe and having fun in the sun

Australians, and our many overseas visitors, have a profound love for the coastline and the Surf Coast is home to some of Australia’s most scenic and popular beaches.

Each summer, the surf coast population almost doubles with visitors. In the lead up to the holiday season, here are our three top tips for having fun in the sun and playing it safe at the beach this summer.

1. Swim between the flags
We all love a day at the beach, but it is important to remember the surf can be unpredictable. That’s why lifeguards put up red and yellow flags to show you the supervised area. The majority of Australians know this, but over half sometimes swim outside of the flags.

If you are thinking about swimming, make sure you know which beaches are patrolled or unpatrolled to ensure your safety. You can view a full list of patrolled beaches and key dates in Victoria on Life Saving Victoria’s website here.

During summer, many of our surf coast beaches are patrolled by life savers with red and yellow flags indicating the safest areas to swim at each beach – please swim between the flags.

2. Take care near cliffs & high tide marks
Many cliffs along the Great Ocean Road coast, particularly in the area between Jan Juc and Point Roadknight, and also at Aireys Inlet, can be unstable due to high tides and erosion. It is important to read and pay attention to advisory signs, take care near cliffs and keep to designated walking tracks.

There are also areas of seasonal coastal shoreline erosion which can also create unstable, temporary ‘sand cliffs’. These are not like normal cliffs and are more prone to collapse.

3. Take 3 for you, me and the sea
Our beaches are often lined along the tide marks with plastics, bottles, cigarette butts, fishing line and hooks, and other rubbish discarded by people. Not only can litter pose threats to physical safety, it also poses a major threat to marine life.
Most beaches along our surf coast have rubbish bins positioned in strategic locations so you don’t have to walk too far to dispose of your litter.

Remember to dispose of your rubbish appropriately or pick up three pieces of rubbish every time you leave the beach and help protect our beautiful coast and its marine life.