Surf Life Saving NSW is excited to welcome beachgoers back, but strongly advises people who haven't been for a while to head to a patrolled location when getting back in the water.
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Director of the Far South Coast Surf Life Saving branch Cheryl McCarthy said the organisation was encouraging people who've been away from the water for a period of time, to swim between the red and yellow flags.
"Our team are trained to identify the rips or any other safety concerns, so when those flags are upheld, teams always have eyes on people between the flags," Ms McCarthy said.
Beachsafe app helps people stay informed
Finding out which beaches are patrolled near you has been made easier with the Surf Lifesaving's app 'Beachsafe', which you can download on your phone.
The app will not only identify the nearest patrolled beaches, but is updated regularly to let you know if a beach has been closed as a result of weather or other reasons.
"It updates in real time so it will tell you wherever you are, where your closest patrol beach is," Ms McCarthy said.
Ms McCarthy said people living and visiting the NSW Far South Coast were fortunate to have far smaller groups of beachgoers than cities.
"We're very fortunate down here, because we don't get thousands of people at the beach like they get in Sydney, and we tend to have quite a bit more room to spread out," she said.
Ms McCarthy warned that although fewer numbers of beachgoers was better in terms of social distancing, it also meant residents may seek out quieter, non patrolled beaches to escape crowds on the busier days.
Social distancing at the beach
People visiting the beach will need to keep practising their social distancing both in the water and out this summer.
"When positioning yourself on the beach, an easy way to remember to socially distance, is just to keep a towel's length apart," Ms McCarthy said.
Ms McCarthy said patrols would take extra care to set up a swimming space between the flags that was safe for beachgoers.
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"We set those flags as wide as we safely can, so we'll definitely give you as much space in the water as we can reasonably keep eyes on," she said.
Ms McCarthy said Surf Life Saving NSW encouraged people to to think about others this summer and consider rotating their time at the beach.
"Rather than coming to the beach and setting up for the day, maybe come down for an hour or two and then go off and do another activity, so that you give others that opportunity to come in," she said.
Top water safety tips to remember coming into summer
These safety tips may not come as a surprise for most, but are well worth being reminded about as we head into warmer months.
Know your limits
Ms McCarthy said if you're unsure about rips in the ocean or are unsure if the water is safe, it's best you don't get in.
"If you're not comfortable identifying a rip then don't go into the water there and go to a patrolled beach instead," she said.
Never go alone
Ms McCarthy said it's important to never go out by yourself and make sure you've got someone there so that you can keep an eye out for each other.
Alcohol and water don't mix
"I know everyone's going to be excited to get out of lockdown and come down have a great time with friends, but alcohol and the beach certainly don't mix well," Ms McCarthy said.