Before hitting the beach, check the surf report

by Krystal Paco

Guam - The summer months are quickly approaching, but before you hit the beach here are some tips from the National Weather Service on water safety. Clear skies and calm waters may be tempting, but according to NWS warning coordination meteorologist Chip Guard, this is when most drownings occur.

"We lose more of our swimmers in the winter time when it's nice out and we don't have any big surf, but it's on its way from Japan, and it catches people by surprise," said Guard. Before you hit the beach, he recommends you visit their website for a surf forecast, which is updated twice daily.

"We'll tell you what the rip current risk is going to be we'll tell you if we're in a high surf situation we'll tell you where the safe locations are where there's low risk of rip currents those are the safe places to swim," he said. And take warnings like a high surf advisory seriously, as he said, "That means you're going to have a condition where there's dangerous rip currents and rip currents are currents where the water comes across the reef interacts with the coast and that water is redirected out to the open ocean. If it weren't the island would fill up with water. So as its directed out, it produces a current that goes out into the open ocean and if you get caught in that current, you're going to go out into the open ocean with it."

For those who do get caught in a rip current, Guard says, "Don't try to swim against the rip current; try to swim parallel to the coast in order to escape the rip current. We say escape the grip of the rip to avoid the grief of the reef."

Above all, never swim alone and stay closest to the shore where currents are weakest. For more on water safety, the Guam Environmental Education Committee is hosting a free workshop from 9:30am to noon tomorrow at Underwater World in Tumon as part of Earth Month.