Water Safety (Recreational)

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

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Research

• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Playing in the water - whether swimming, boating or diving - can be fun. It can also be dangerous, especially for children. Being safe can help prevent injuries and drowning. To stay safe in the water:

• Avoid alcohol when swimming or boating
• Wear a life jacket whenever you're in a boat
• Don't swim alone, or in bad weather
• Learn CPR
• Learn to swim and teach your children to swim
• Supervise your children when they are in the water
• Prevent sunburns - use plenty of sunscreen

Start Here

• Outdoor Water Safety (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Preventing Swimming-Related Illnesses (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Water Safety (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Water Safety (Department of Agriculture)
• Water Safety (American Red Cross)

Related Issues

• About Swimmer's Itch (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Preventing Diarrheal Illnesses (Healthy Swimming) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Preventing Molluscum Contagiosum in Schools, Daycares, and Pools (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Preventing Swimmer's Ear (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Risky Drinking Can Put a Chill on Your Summer Fun (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Boating Safety Tips and Resources (National Weather Service)
• Diver Safety (Divers Alert Network)
• Preventing Hot Tub Rash (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Staying Safe in the Water: Guard Against Germs While Swimming (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Well, This Bites: Prevention and Treatment of Marine Bites (Divers Alert Network)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Development of an Instrumented Glove for Palmar Pressure Assessment in Kayakers.
• Article: Effects of Boat Class and Size on Intracycle Velocity Variation During...
• Article: Epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries in Chinese collegiate dragon boat athletes: a...
• Water Safety (Recreational) -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American College of Emergency Physicians
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish

Children

• Beach Safety for Families: Safe Fun in the Sun, Sand, and Sea (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Drowning Prevention for Curious Toddlers: What Parents Need to Know (American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Water Park Safety (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Marine animal stings or bites (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish