Tips for navigating Australian beaches this summer

BY RILEY WILSON The Washington Post

By the time the sun rises like a bright mango cheek, Australia’s surf lifesavers are already preparing for a day on the sand. Cyril Baldock knows the routine well; he’s been a member of the surf club at Bondi Beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs since 1958. At 79, he’s the longest-living life member of Bondi Surf Bathers’ Surf Life Saving Club, which started in 1907 and is internationally recognized as the first surf-lifesaving club in the world.

“Surf lifesaving originated in Bondi,” he says. “It’s developed all around the world since, in the 314 clubs in Australia, but it was started on Bondi Beach in Australia.”

Volunteer surf lifesavers, as opposed to paid lifeguards, are trained to patrol Australian beaches. Dressed in their iconic yellow and red, the volunteers work weekends in patrol groups between four and 20 people. They undergo 10 weeks of training, earn a Bronze Medallion and a Surf Rescue Certificate, and renew their qualifications — including fitness tests, skills maintenance and first aid — annually. Patrols are often on the beach by 8 a.m., assessing the water and planting the red-and-yellow flags.

Baldock earned his stripes at Bondi SLSC, winning 17 Australian titles and two world titles in surf competitions, and the titles of president, captain, life member and — now — patron. He goes for a swim in the morning, and in the afternoon. He’s one of millions of Australians who do that daily.

There are 12,000 beaches dotting the Australian coast, and they tend to top the bucket lists of most visitors. But Baldock’s the first to tell you that the period of time between a safe swim and a potentially dangerous swim is a matter of seconds.

“The biggest thing that [tourists] don’t understand is the old thing about ‘swim between the flags.’ What they’ll see is that that’s where it’s rough. A lot of tourists ... they’ll want to go where it looks calm. And it’s calm where it’s dangerous,” says Baldock.

In doing so, people unwittingly head toward a rip current, the deadliest threat on Australian beaches. The currents are strong and unpredictable, energized by rapidly changing ocean motions.

But the clubs — and their 190,000 volunteers — have it covered. Before there was the Australian reality show “Bondi Rescue,” there were Bondi rescues. Australia’s volunteer surf lifesavers have long conquered switching swell, shark alerts and incompetent swimmers with determination and unwavering patience.

Navigating the beach and understanding beach safety is key, says Shane Daw, 58, the general manag. If you are heading to Australia’s beaches this summer, here are tips from the lifesavers to keep you safe.

STAY BETWEEN THE FLAGS, AND PAY ATTENTION TO RIPS

The area of the surf between the red-and-yellow flags has been designated safe by the patrolling surf lifesavers. Always swim between the flags.

Rip currents are strong, narrow channels of water that flow past the surf breaks. They’re the number one risk on Australian beaches. To identify a rip, look for where waves are breaking constantly, then look to where the water is calmer on either side. It may be darker and have a rippled surface. These are rips. If you are caught in a rip, remain calm and raise your hand to attract the attention of lifesavers. Do not panic. You can also swim parallel to the beach to try to swim out of a rip current.

MITIGATE SUNBURN, SUNSTROKE AND DEHYDRATION

Australian kids are raised on a jingle of “slip, slop, slap”: Slip on a longsleeved shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat.

Patrols attend to sunstroke and sunburn victims daily. Mitigate this haz- ard by regularly applying sunscreen, drinking plenty of water, finding shade whenever possible, and recognizing when you’ve had enough.

Baldock and clubmates run “ins and outs,” an exercise where the volunteers run into the water, through the shallows or under the waves, and then swim out to a point not far from shore.

Check For Stingers And Other Sea Life

Unpatrolled and secluded beaches can be home to plenty of nonhuman visitors, including crocodiles or breeding sharks.

Sharks are not the most dangerous things in Australian waters. A shark attack on Feb. 16, 2022, at Sydney’s Little Bay, was the first fatality of its kind in the area since 1963.

Stingers, including bluebottles and potentially lethal box jellyfish, are also important to keep an eye out for. You may also see bluebottles washed up on the beach. They sting. Look out for signs that indicate these hazards.

If you’re not sure about what’s in the water, how it’s behaving, or what you should keep an eye out for, ask. Clearly marked signs also provide information each day; be attentive, and request help if you need it.