Beach Safety Tips

• Read and obey all beach warning signs and posted rules.
  
• All beaches in Hawaii are open to the public. Most have no lifeguards on duty, therefore you swim at your own risk. Be careful at all times.
  
• Do not leave valuables in your car or on the beach unattended.
  
• Watch your children closely at all times.
  
• Most beaches have reefs close to shore. Take care when walking on them so as not to damage reef life or yourself as reefs have sharp edges that cut easily.
  
• Watch out for "wana" (sea urchin) which looks like a black pin cushion and is found living in pockets in the reef.
  
• Unless you are an experienced swimmer you should not go beyond the "barrier reef" and into open ocean, either swimming or in a kayak.
  
• Look for posted jellyfish warning signs. Jellyfish usually arrive 7 days after a full moon and will last for a couple of days each month. Usually a box jelly fish sting is not fatal in Hawaii. Most often it is just a sting and nothing more. In Australia, box jellyfish can be deadly and many visitors think the same is true for Hawaii.
  
• Unless you are an experienced swimmer avoid going into the ocean where there are strong currents, dangerous surf conditions and heavy winds.
  
• Always apply a quality sunscreen with a SPF rating of 8 or above before going out in the intense Hawaiian sun. The sun screen you use should say on the bottle that it protects against UVA and UVB sun rays. Sun screens containing titanium dioxide usually will meet this requirement. Always reapply the sun screen after swimming. Always protect young children with sun screen
  
• Always wear a quality pair of sun glasses with Polaroid lens when you are in the direct Hawaiian sun.