Thread: Florida Beach Information (General)

On Florida Beaches, there's a reason you might not know about for swimming within sight of a lifeguard.

It's the flags they fly.


At beaches where lifeguards are on duty you'll find information on water conditions and temperatures.
Be sure to pay attention to the flags flying and their color:

Green - Good swimming conditions.
Yellow - Use caution
Red - Dangerous swimming conditions
Blue - Hazardous Marine Life

Even for STRONG swimmers, rip currents are still very dangerous!

No matter how many precautions are taken, ocean currents are a natural phenomenon and can change suddenly. Rip currents are one of these phenomenons and account for 80 percent of rescues performed by surf beach lifeguards.

Knowing what to do in the event of a rip current, before entering the water, can help a person return safely back to shore.

Rip current facts:

• Rip currents are channelized currents of water flowing away from shore at surf beaches.
• Rip currents are sometimes indicated by churning, choppy water; a difference in water color; a line of foam, seaweed or debris moving seaward; or a break in the incoming wave pattern.
• Rip currents pull people away from shore and can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea.
• If caught in a rip current, stay calm and escape the current by swimming parallel to the shoreline.
• To assist someone caught in a rip current, immediately get help from a lifeguard, throw something that floats to the person, or call 9-1-1.

Of the beaches on the list of the 10 most dangerous beaches for shark encounters / attacks, only ONE Florida beach is included:

New Smyrna Beach, Florida - Dubbed as “shark capital of the world” just because of its tourism doesn’t mix well with the natural sharks around the beaches. The only Florida Beach on the list.


SOURCE: 10 Dangerous Shark Beaches

Great Thread!!

On the flip side, THREE Florida beaches made the top ten (as judged by Business Troves Logue) this year. Here's their list:

1.Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach - Outer Banks, North Carolina
2. Caladesi Island State Park - Dunedin/Clearwater
3.Florida Coopers Beach - Southampton, New York
4. Hanalei Beach - Kauai, Hawaii
5. Coast Guard Beach - Cape Cod, Massachusetts
6. Hamoa Beach - Maui, Hawaii
7. Main Beach - East Hampton, New York
8. Coronado Beach - San Diego, California
9. Lighthouse Point Park - Daytona Beach, Florida
10. Siesta Beach - Sarasota, Florida

Find out a little bit about about beaches in the Florida Keys in an article found on Florida Keys Beach Vacation Guide

Here's how this article begins -


The Florida Keys offer a beach vacation different than vacations to other Florida travel destinations. Traveling to the Florida Keys Beaches for vacation offers travelers a more “laid back” style of travel.


The Florida Keys are broken up into three, simple, easy to remember sections : Upper, Middle, and Lower Keys. Each “section” of Florida Keys offer their advantages and disadvantages, but they’re all great beach vacation destinations.


Read the rest of the article, which goes on the give details about specific beaches in each 'section' of the Keys at:
Florida Keys Beach Vacation Guide

LIFEGUARD FYI:

Many Florida Beaches scale back or discontinue lifeguard duty hours from Labor Day until Easter.

For exampe. in Brevard County (home of Port Canaveral), lifeguards are currently on duty on Saturdays and Sundays only.

Authorities are reporting a rare instance of Red Tide on Florida's east coast. People who are prone to breathing problems are warned not to go on the beach at this time.

The water has tested positive for the toxic algae in St. Johns, Flagler and Volusia Counties, and fears are that it is migbrating south. (Brevard is the next county south of Volusia.)

Beaches in our area are under a high surf advisory.

Additionaly, Beaches all along Florida's East Coast are experiencing rough surf and rip currents... This condition is likely to persist for at least the next several days.

So, conditions will be intermittently unsafe for anyone who is not an experienced surf swimmer right now.

High Surf Avvisory and Rip Current Warning for ALL beaches on Florida's entire east coast for today and tomorrow (Oct 31 and Nov 1)

Aslo South Georgia Beaches.

Local authorities are advising AGAINST going in water AT ALL.