Here you will find fact sheets on a variety of topics. We also have simple beach safety tips in eighteen community languages which can also be accessed from this site.

At the beach: Enjoying the beach Flags Rip Currents Safety Signs Large Surf Waves King Tides Sharks Spinal Injury Awareness Lost children at the Beach Bodysurfing and Board Riding Alcohol and Swimming Sun Safety Marine Stingers

Community languages

Other fact sheets:


About Surf Life Saving Australia:

History of Surf Life Saving in Australia:

Enjoying the beach

Australia has the most beautiful beaches in the world, but it is important we enjoy them safely.
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Flags

Surf lifesavers and lifeguards use flags to indicate the safest swimming areas for the beach-going public.
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Rip currents

A rip is a strong current running out to sea on a surf beach. It can easily take swimmers from shallow water to several hundred metres offshore.
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Safety Signs

Please swim only in patrolled areas, learn what the flags mean and obey the directions of surf lifesavers and lifeguards - they are on the beach to keep you safe. Click Here


Large Surf

When large surf pounds the coast, SLSA will generally send a warning asking beachgoers to ensure they only swim in patrolled areas.
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Waves

Generally there are there are three different types of waves. Swimmers need to be aware of each to ensure they enjoy the beach. Click here



King Tides

King tides can create dangerous and unstable conditions, so it is important that beachgoers consider their own safety when these occur. SLSA advises beachgoers to swim only between the flags when king tide conditions are present. Click here



Sharks

The chances of a shark attack are very low however there are some simple rules for safe swimming to help reduce incidents involving sharks and humans.
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Spinal Injury Awareness

Each year many people visiting our beaches will risk serious spinal injury, often through not thinking of the consequences of their action for just a brief moment.
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Lost Children at the Beach

Please swim only in patrolled areas and encourage children to never swim alone. Surf lifesavers are there to help you and your children stay safer on our beaches.
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Bodysurfing and Board Riding

Enjoying the surf is one of the most popular recreational activities in Australia. Learning to enjoy the surf safely will only come with practice.
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Alcohol and Swimming

Alcohol is a serious health hazard and is a frequent factor in road and boating accidents, aquatic rescues and drowning deaths. SLSA encourages all people to never drink and swim, operate a boat or drive
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Sun Safe at the Beach

When visiting the beach in Australia there is always the need to be sun safe. Too much exposure to the sun can seriously damage your skin, Whenever you are going into the sun, take adequate precautions
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Marine Stingers

Australia’s waters contain many sea creatures, including marine stingers. Although they are generally quite easy to avoid, stingers can cause discomfort if you are stung and some tropical species (the Irukandji and the Box Jellyfish, for example) can be lethal.
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About Surf Life Saving Australia:
SLSA is Australia's major water safety and rescue authority and the largest volunteer organisation in the country. This site is full of information about SLSA and its activities. Click here for a brief summary sheet.

How did surf lifesaving begin:

During the nineteenth century, legislation banned bathing in public between the hours of 6am and 8pm. As a consequence of the lifting of these bans, the popularity of what was called surf-bathing increased rapidly. Unfortunately however, so did the number of bathers who got into difficulty in the surf. Click here for a range of fact sheets and click here for a timeline.

For further information: info@slsa.asn.au
Page updated: July 2008