Basic beach safety rules to know before you start surfing

Before you even try to learn to surf, it is important to set out the basic rules of beach safety.

A beginner in this sport falls into the category of "a swimmer armed with a surfboard".

Any swimmer who tries to surf for the first time will tend to do the same thing.

• First, they put a towel on the sand so as to claim their territory.
• Second, they get undressed.
• Third, they pick up the surfboard and run to the water.
• Fourth, they throw themselves at the waves any way they can.

It may be unpleasant to classify people so simply, but the fact is that a surfboard in the hands of an inexperienced person is potentially dangerous.

In the breaking zone, a beginner will struggle even to hold the surfboard and to protect themselves from it.

Once a swimmer enters the water they become a surfer, and simply carrying a surfboard means facing a whole new world of flags, signs, buoys and so on.

Any mistake will have everyone looking at them, all the more so because the lifeguard tends to focus their attention, and their reprimands, on them.

Surfers and swimmers do not mix.

So, what should you do on your first surf session, and how do beaches "work"?

Beach use in and out of the bathing season

All over the world, a red flag is used to show when a beach is closed to swimming, and on some beaches sports such as surfing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing and so on may be advised against.

This rule applies to swimmers and to surfers alike.

If, in the lifeguard's opinion, the beach is not safe for the general public, they close it and stop everyone, including surfers, from entering the water.

Some beaches are sheltered from the swell by natural or artificial breakwaters, so they are considered safe and are rarely closed to the public.

However, because they have no waves (except when there is a storm), they are of no use to a surfer. The only possible risks on those beaches are hitting your foot on a rock hidden under the sand, or being stung in the water by something unpleasant (a jellyfish or a weever fish).

The lifeguards on beaches all over the world are there to protect the public.

They use prevention more than cure, and, so as to remove as many problems as possible, they separate surfers from swimmers.

There are several ways to do this. The most common is a total or partial ban on surfing at beaches meant for swimmers, or separate areas on the same beach for each group.

These areas are usually marked by flags, signs and so on, and lifeguards constantly remind people about them.

A lifeguard's first responsibility is to the swimmers, so the area they set aside for swimming takes precedence over the area set aside for surfing.

To keep the general public clear of loose surfboards, the two areas are usually divided by lines of buoys running out to sea, or by flags meant for that purpose.

It may seem to you that the lifeguards worry too much, and that the beach is perfectly safe.

Even so, do not forget that they know the area perfectly and know the dangers it hides. They are responsible not only for saving life but also for protecting it, so if you are told that the beach is closed, you have to accept the fact.

In some countries, a surfer who ignores this instruction may have their surfboard confiscated for quite some time, and surfing on a beach where it is forbidden can mean being arrested or paying a fine.

In Portugal, beaches have flags and information signs put up by the lifeguards of each concession. At each concession, the swimming area is marked by a red and yellow flag, so swimmers know where it is safe, and where to swim and bathe in the sea.

Every surfer should therefore avoid the swimming area and surf on the rest of the beach.

A red flag means that, in the lifeguard's opinion, the beach is not safe for bathing or for swimming, and it is closed to anyone who wants to do either. Never enter the water when the red flag is flying.

For water sports such as surfing, bodyboarding, windsurfing and others, you may practise the sport, but of course only when the safety conditions are in place. You should have the knowledge to read the sea, and remember that your safety and the safety of others come first.

You are a complete surfer when you can also judge the safety of the beach, and when every condition is in place for you to go in. When you do not know, ask the lifeguard. If you surf all year, always ask the local people at each place, for example other surfers.

Avoid surfing alone, with absolutely no one else there. Accidents can happen, and if you are somewhere that few people use, or no one at all, it will be hard to call for assistance or for any other kind of help.

If you have any doubt about the safety of the areas, ask the lifeguard.