1. Maia McGuire Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent
Being safe at the beach
Maia McGuire
Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent

2. Beach safety Sun protection Protecting your feet Safety in the water
Stranger danger

3. Sun MYTHS Dark-skinned people don’t get skin cancer
You won’t get sunburned on a cloudy day; the clouds block UV rays

4. Activity
UV beads (

5. Sunburns and skin cancer
Excessive and/or multiple sunburns can lead to skin cancer
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the US—nearly half of all cancer cases are skin cancer (most are non-melanomas)
Almost 12,000 people die of skin cancer each year

6. Avoiding sunburn Seek the shade, especially between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.
Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.
Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours.
Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.

7. Activity
Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap relay

8. Activity
Sunscreen song (and related activities) from

9. Protecting your feet Wear closed-toed shoes with a heel strap
Crocs are not good water shoes!
Broken glass, barnacles or pieces of oyster shell can cut your feet
Learn the stingray shuffle!

10. Safety in the water Play/swim near a lifeguard
Pay attention to the flags…
Never swim alone

11. Sharks!
Most “shark attacks” along the Atlantic coast of Florida are accidental bites (“mistaken identity”) by smaller sharks feeding in the surf zone
There are ways to avoid being run into by a shark….

12. Always stay in groups
Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight hours
Do not enter the water if bleeding
Do not wear shiny jewelry in the water
Avoid swimming where people are fishing