Here's how to stay safe when you go in the water

The Air Force Safety Center urges airmen to follow these water safety guidelines when they go swimming.

Use the buddy system; swim with a friend.
Know your swimming ability and stay within its limits.
Read and heed beach safety/warning signs.
Never dive headfirst into unknown waters. Check for depth and obstructions before diving.
Observe plunging and surging waves before entering the water. Plunging waves can slam you into the ocean floor; surging waves can easily knock you into the sand.
Make sure your boat is in good working order and life preservers are available.
Head for shelter at first sight of severe weather.
Stay Sober – don’t swim while intoxicated. Alcohol can affect your judgment and your body temperature – impairing your ability to swim.
Non-swimmers should use Coast Guard-approved flotation vests, even while wading.
Don’t swim during rough seas. Broken necks and paralysis can result from swimmers being thrown into the ocean bottom headfirst.
Due to dangerous currents, never swim in the inlets.
Children should swim only with adult supervision.
Underwater sandbars often develop offshore forming a trough of water between the bar and the beach. Rip currents form when the sand bar breaks and the trapped water funnels out to the sea through the break, sometimes sweeping swimmers with it.
Don’t swim at night or near fishing piers.
Don’t swim during thunderstorms; lightning is extremely dangerous and does strike the beach.