Beach Safety Tips From Your Local Patrols

Beach safety remains a cherished and vital term on the South Jersey lifeguard circuit.

Safety tips are constantly preached, updated, and spread through social-media channels and websites in Sea Isle City and Upper Township.

We caught up with Sea Isle Beach Patrol Chief Renny Steele and Upper Township Captain Bill Handley to weigh in on new wrinkles to the overall safety standards.

Sadly, they both had to acknowledge a fatality in Toms River last month pertaining to two of their guidelines: Don’t dig deep holes, especially on beaches where there are no lifeguards.

Sand collapsed on a brother and sister digging a hole, with no lifeguards present. Rescue teams managed to save the 17-year-old woman, but her 18-year-old brother died.

According to published reports, the victim was buried under at least 5 feet of sand and the hole was approximately 8 feet wide by 8 feet deep.

Safety regulations in Sea Isle City and Upper Township advise digging holes no deeper than either the knee or waist of the smallest person in the group, if you have to dig at all.

Collapsing sand is powerful, especially if it lands on top of a surfboard pinned to someone’s body.

As rare as beach and ocean fatalities are, they underscore how danger can engulf an individual in a split second.

“It’s a little scary,” Steele says of the Toms River fatality. “At least when there are guards present, if we don’t see it, someone may tell us, ‘Hey, that kid is digging a hole.’

“It’s dangerous not only in situations for which the sand can collapse on you, but also if you see that two holes have been dug and people decide to connect the two underneath.”

“We’d prefer that people don’t dig holes at all,” Handley adds. “We advise people to remember that we train our guards to keep their concentration on what is happening in the water.

“Our policy is that the hole cannot be deeper than the knee level of the smallest person. We also would like people to fill in their own hole when they leave. It is a hazard to people who might be running on the beach [or perhaps not see it].”

On another safety issue, both Steele and Handley advise that parents provide proper footwear to their young children, whose feet are not calloused and can be burnt to the point of blistering either on the beach or the macadam.

Both patrols post numerous safety tips on their websites. Sea Isle City has a Safety Tip Saturday section on its Facebook page and recently published one of those guidelines:

“Avoid head, neck, and back injuries ... Do not dive toward the bottom into oncoming waves. Hold your hands out in front of your head and dive through the wave. Another safe method of negotiating the waves is to squat down and allow the wave to roll over top of you. Always be aware of the wave action. Do not stand in the water with your back to the waves.”

Handley further notes that there is an overall lifeguard shortage and some beaches that were once patrolled will not be now. He advises people to move to where they can swim in front of a lifeguard.

Here are some additional excerpts posted by each beach patrol.

Upper Township

Beaches in Strathmere are protected from 10am-5pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5:30pm Friday-Sunday. In Beesley’s Point, guards are on duty from 9am-5pm.

Lifeguard headquarters is located at Williams Road in Strathmere.

Port-o-pots are located at Williams Road, Putnam Road, and 1400 Commonwealth. There is a restroom at Beesley’s Point.

Handicap access ramps are located at Williams and Putnam roads. Call beach patrol headquarters if you need a beach wheelchair at 609-263-1151.

Boogie boards and rafts are permitted at all bathing beaches at the discretion of the lifeguards based on the conditions of the day.

Upper Township Beach Patrol utilizes the beach flag warning system. The colors indicate the conditions for that day.

No dogs are permitted on any of Upper Township’s beaches from March 15 through Sept. 15.

Fireworks and release of balloons is not permitted on the beach.

Surfing is permitted south of Tecumseh and north of Sherman. Lifeguards may allow surfing between other protected beaches pending the conditions of the given day.

Fishing is permitted south of Prescott and north of Seacliff. Lifeguards may allow fishing between other protected beaches pending the conditions of the given day.

Beach parties, fires, motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages, and changing of clothes are not permitted on Upper Township beaches.

Beach Access signs are posted at every beach path. Please take note of where you are entering the beach, especially in areas not protected by lifeguards. This will allow personnel to respond to the correct location in the case of an emergency.

Sea Isle City

Always listen to lifeguards’ whistles and swim directly in front of the lifeguard stand. Guards are aware of ocean hazards such as rip currents, inshore holes, and lateral currents. This awareness enables guards to keep bathers away from these hazards and safe. Never enter the water when lifeguards are not present.