5 things your kids need to know about beach safety

Wollongong City Council Lifeguards started patrols on Saturday, 17 September – just in time for school holidays. This means that the red and yellow flags are up at your local beach and I couldn't be happier.

Although it is raining as I write this and La Niña has decided to stick around, it's still a very exciting sign that summer and warm water are just around the corner. We've taken advantage of the past few sunny weekends and have gone for our first swims of the season – it's nippy but refreshing to be in the water again (I'm not a winter swimmer).

Wollongong has 17 patrolled beaches, stretching from Stanwell Park to Windang in the south. You can swim at patrolled beaches when the red and yellow flags are up. No flags = no swim. Council pays lifeguards (white shirts, blue shorts), who work Monday to Saturday. On Sundays and public holidays, the surf clubs step up to patrol – their lifesavers are unpaid volunteers (in red and yellow).

To prepare for the season ahead, we asked Celia Heffernan, the Junior Secretary at Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Club, for advice on how parents and caregivers can teach beach safety to their kids.

1. Look for the red and yellow flags and ALWAYS swim between them
2. If in doubt, ask a lifesaver or lifeguard for help
3. Read the safety signs at the beach – each beach is different
4. Always swim with a friend and an adult
5. If you need help, stay calm and attract attention by raising your arm.

Every Sunday and Public Holiday until April 2023, you'll see the lifesavers of Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Club at Stanwell Park beach. Registration for Nippers is open for the 2022/23 season. You can find further information here. To find your nearest surf club, click here.

For more beach safety tips, visit the Surf Life Saving NSW website