Water safety 101

Safety advice differs depending on the activity, but with the help of our experts, we’ve compiled a guide to help you get started.

✢ It’s best to adventure with someone else. But if you’re going it alone, make sure you tell someone where you will be and when you will be back.

✢ Speak to a local guide or lifeguard to check for any dangers before heading out. You should also check the weather forecast (and tide times if in the sea), but remember that conditions can change quickly.

✢ Wear a flotation device. If applicable (and that includes just sitting in a boat), make sure you wear a PFD that fits, says David Walker, leisure safety manager at ROSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents). ‘Too small and it won’t provide enough buoyancy; too big and it will float up around your ears, making it harder to breathe.’

✢ Take your phone. ‘Always carry a means of calling for help, such as a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch, so in an emergency you can call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard,’ says Samantha Hughes from the RNLI’S water safety team.

✢ Don’t panic if you fall in. ‘Remember the float to live technique,’ says Samantha. ‘Lean back using your arms and legs to stay afloat. By fighting your instinct to thrash around it allows you to control your breathing before calling for help or swimming to safety.’

✢ Wear appropriate clothing. This includes a wetsuit, if needed. ✢ Reapply sunscreen after going in the water. Salt and moving water can decrease SPF.

For more sport-specific information, visit rnli.org/safety