Human beings as a species are pathetically incompetent in the water. Compare the best human swimmer with even the worst fish and you’ll see just what we mean. With this in mind, it’s essential to consciously practice a conservative attitude of respect and caution if and whenever you’re swimming. Here’s our guide to swimming and boating safety to keep your head above water.

Swimming Safety Tips

Here are our top three tips for keeping yourself and your children safe while swimming.

Make Sure Your Children Are Supervised

Children should never be allowed to swim unsupervised by adults anywhere. MedlinePlus reports that drowning can happen quickly and silently in as little as 2 inches of water. When it comes to young children, most incidences of accidental drowning occur in residential pools. It may sound morbid, but you must not be so naive as to think that this could not possibly happen to you. Adults supervising children should always be alert and aware of where all of the children for whom they’re responsible are at all times. Many young children who drown in their home’s pool were purportedly only out of their parent’s sight for as little as five minutes before their unfortunate deaths. Also, on that note, if you have a pool, it’s important to make sure and secure it with the appropriate barriers.

Avoid Blind, Head-First Diving

Do not dive headfirst into the shallow or murky water, or water of uncertain depth. Diving in shallow water can cause injuries and drowning. Murky water diving is particularly dangerous because you can’t see how deep and or shallow the water into which you’re diving is. It is best to enter the water feet-first. Doing so may be less adventurous but it’s undoubtedly significantly safer.

Learn Emergency Medical Procedures

If you have children, it’s a good idea to learn basic first aid and CPR. Knowing the basic rescue measures to take during an emergency can mean the difference between life and death, especially for families with residential pools. If you’re interested in learning more you can register for a Red Cross certified home pool safety, water safety, or first aid and CPR/AED to learn all the basics and give yourself some piece-of-mind.

Boating Safety Tips

Boating is great fun but, like any water-based activity, needs to be done with care. Here are our top three tips for staying safe while you’re out boating.

Learn To Swim

If you’re going to be in and around the water, you must learn how to swim. You should abide by this safety rule even if you have no intention of leaving the boat. Worst case, you’re better safe than sorry!

Know The Weather

You should always take a look at your local weather forecast before setting sail. TV and radio forecasts can be a good source of information. If you notice the clouds are starting to get dark or that the winds are suddenly changing, be smart and head home.

Keep Your Common Sense Common

You must, when boating, vigilantly keep your wits about you. This means always going at a safe speed at or below the speed limit. It always means staying alert, and steering clear of large floating vessels and other watercraft, especially when their ability to stop or turn is restricted. Finally, you should be respectful of buoys and other navigational aids. They’re there to keep you safe and are meant to be obeyed!

You can’t overestimate the importance of protecting your skin. This goes for both swimming and boating. You should limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., plus you should always either wear protective clothing or sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.

Lou DeVoto has successfully handled negligent, swim-related lawsuits before, reaching a nearly two million dollar wrongful death settlement in a tragic 2014 case. So if you need help in New Jersey give Rossetti & DeVoto a call today at (844) 263-6260 for a free, no-obligation consultation.