Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that we need more education about the sea?

234 replies

LyndaNotLinda · 21/08/2016 19:10

Six people dead in 24 hours around the British coast. Many more injured. Lots of RNLI staff risking their lives to save people who have taken insane risks.

I live on the coast and a number of people on our beaches get into serious trouble every summer and that isn't even with a storm thrown into the mix. Once you add that in, the risks to holidaymakers are enormous.

Do we need government warning to tell people that it isn't safe to go in or near the water in high winds? It just seems that people were taken totally unawares by the power of the sea :(

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
AnotherUsernameBitesTheDust · 21/08/2016 20:50

The sea terrifies me. I let my kids paddle up to their knees in calm water and always stay in with them. One of my DSs has learning disabilities and doesn't really understand that the sea is not just a big swimming pool and can be dangerous so i need to keep him safe.

I'd never go into the sea in rough and windy weather. I probably wouldn't even go to the coast.

ThymeLord · 21/08/2016 20:55

It's a bit of a weird one isn't it. You'd think that anybody with half a brain in their head would look at the sea, see that it's throwing up massive waves, and avoid it. Yet they don't. So as much as flats and warnings could be seen as nannying, there clearly are people who will put their lives (and often the lives of their children) at great risk, unless someone says DON'T GO IN THE WATER YOU DICK.

ThymeLord · 21/08/2016 20:55

*flags not flats, ffs!

BMW6 · 21/08/2016 21:03

Frankly, no matter how much public education there is, there is always someone who doesn't think and they and others suffer the consequences of their foolishness.
Very sad, especially when children are losing their lives because an adult didn't think, but such is life. You simply cannot make everyone safe all the time.

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 21:04

Quite agree techno

Original poster
LyndaNotLinda · 21/08/2016 21:11

I think there is 'holiday mode' and also a (misguided) sense that nothing horrible happens on a dull old English seaside holiday bar a bit of rain spoiling proceedings.

I think we need a national media campaign to scare the fuck out of people because a lot of them clearly don't understand the risks at all. This weather is very unusual for August but they seem to have not been able to read the signs and have just carried on doing what they had planned without taking into account the conditions.

OP posts:
littledrummergirl · 21/08/2016 21:24

We were in Perranporth a few weeks ago and the sea was rather wild then. Great fun for bodyboarding knowing that the lifeguards there are amazing however we stayed between the flags and avoided the sea when it was red flagged.

We were careful but still nearly caught by the huge waves and rip tides. Education is definitely a good idea.

lovelyupnorth · 21/08/2016 21:25

We get a number of calls to locals forgetting the spring tides getting cut off whilst walking dogs.

We also get issues with quicksand and people seem to ignore the warnings.

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 21:38

Yes agree scaring the fuck out of people is a good idea. Why did I do lifeguard training to be told to fuck off?

Fluffyears · 21/08/2016 21:46

This and also fucking idiots heading up mountains without appropriate clothing or equipment. Flip flops are not suitable for hill walking and yes it's s nice 18c day at the bottom but at the top it's torrential rain, howling winds and 6c. Not suitable for t shirts!

Iloveowls2 · 21/08/2016 21:47

A lot of it is common sense but something's are not inituative like the calmest looking water can actually be the most dangerous (ie riptides). What to do in a rip tide. But if you go near the sea it is your responsibility to educate yourself and your children. How can anyone have missed the fact that the sea and any open water is dangerous?

Crispbutty · 21/08/2016 21:53

I've been on fistral beach many times and there are lots of lifeguards doing a very busy job. Tannoys regularly across the beach explaining the flags and telling people where it is and isn't safe. People still ignore them sadly.

It was blindingly obvious this weekend that it was not safe to be in or close to the water.

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 22:05

m.westbriton.co.uk/8203-surfer-speaks-of-battle-to-save-truro-swimmer-who-died-at-porthtowan/story-29621590-detail/story.html
This guy was a local who decided to go out into the sea before the lifeguards were on duty and flags were out. He didn't go home! This was also last week
At last the bbc are putting out warnings

Gazelda · 21/08/2016 22:05

The RNLI have a brilliant education division, that will visit schools and groups to talk about being safe in and around the sea. It suits the national curriculum structure and had loads of fun lesson plans. All schools should invite the RNLI team to give a presentation during the summer term to help children be aware of the dangers.
Their parents may still be ignorant or idiots, but hopefully the children will have an awareness and educate their family.

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 22:07

Good post Gazelda

blueistheonlycolourwefeel · 21/08/2016 22:11

I've just spent the weekend in north Cornwall and the weather was WILD. One beach we went to had crazy waves and a red flag flying. I still saw children of about 3-6 running in and out of the waves?! I mean, why???
My son was playing in pools at least 50-70ft from the water and there is NO WAY I would have let him in the sea when it was so wild.

goddessoftheharvest · 21/08/2016 22:17

There was odd seas around my area at the weekend. I changed my run route because of it. I have a gorgeous route, over a beach and along a rocky coastal path. It's a loop. I didn't even go down on to the beach because I didn't trust the look of the waves. There was a really odd swell that I would associate with spring tides more than I would the sea in August (in my area at least) The sea was further up than I've seen it in a long time and I felt uncomfortable

I've lived by the sea most of my life and I know this area like the back of my hand (have been asked to volunteer on local lifeboat too). I've learnt not to ignore the prickle on the back of my beck, especially since the time I was 10 and almost got into some serious difficulty.

It changes so quickly, and it can never be taken for granted. Those poor people.

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 22:19

Coastguard has been on bbc news tv and radio warning about dangers of sea.
Won't stop the idiots though. Invincible in the evenings when they've sunk a few and go skinny dipping

goddessoftheharvest · 21/08/2016 22:20

Also I can't praise the RNLI highly enough
Fantastic organisation full of amazing people

I would encourage you all to join your children up to Stortforce, the children's member club. Ten pound a year, and the resources they get are second to none. A pencil case, kit bag, stickers etc, loads of colouring stuff and magazines sent out four times a year. Really worth it.

HemanOrSheRa · 21/08/2016 22:21

I personally think that some people are in "holiday mode" and seem to think that the rules don't apply to them. Absolutely agree techno. Sadly.

We spend weeks every year in Cornwall, surfing and bodyboarding on a beach patrolled by amazing lifeguards. I have taught DS to DO AS THEY SAY and follow the rules. We've seen so many people caught out by incoming tides etc. And many people thinking that it's ok to be in the water outside of the flag markers Hmm, constantly getting shouted at by the lifeguards to get between the flags. There is only so much stretch of water that they can patrol. And they are trained to go out, surf and test the currents etc. to find the safest place to put the flag markers so everyone can have a good time. It really pisses me off when I see people completely disregarding this.

goddessoftheharvest · 21/08/2016 22:22

Stormforce ffs!

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 22:23

Brilliant series on the RNLI a couple of weeks ago, should be compulsory to watch. Probably on iPlayer

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 22:24

Thanks Heman

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 21/08/2016 22:25

Absolutely Lynda. I don't think anyone could argue. It would be a very important and valuable lesson to teach children as it may one day save their lives.
However I do have to second Witch. What do they do about people who ignore the red flags.
It might be a long shot, but could they put security guards on the beach to stop people going on. If they can't be trusted to follow safety instructions.

Rhinosaurus · 21/08/2016 22:29

I live in Newquay, I walked my dog today at Fistral and there were film crews where the family got taken into the sea at the weekend, not to take away from how heartbreaking it is, I wouldn't have taken a toddler down on those rocks in good weather, never mind the high seas, rain and wind we had this weekend.
And then just yesterday, the day after this awful tragedy, two idiots went into the sea also at Newquay after a dog.
Earlier this summer, a family set up their beach camp complete with numerous windbreaks, AROUND the yellow and red flag - you couldn't make it up!
The RNLI and emergency services have to risk their lines because of this ignorance about the sea and how dangerous it is.