Enjoy the shore, but plan ahead if you are a landlubber

You probably already know that there's a big difference between swimming in the ocean and swimming in a pool or a lake. Some of the things you have to watch out for are riptides, boats, reefs, sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, and sea urchins.

Before getting out in the deep water, spend some time in a pool to build strength, lung power, and improve your stroke. To build lung power, swim lengths under water. In the ocean, your breathing will vary with the size and direction of the waves, so you'll need some control. Saltwater buoyancy will allow you to kick slower.

Before attempting a long swim, do several five-minute swims in the ocean. Work on plotting a straight line to a buoy.

Experts quoted in Men's Fitness give this advice:

Handle riptides. Eighty percent of beach lifeguard rescues involve swimmers caught in rip currents. If you are caught in one, swim parallel to the shore and you will get out of it.

Don't overestimate your ability and swim out too far. 

Watch where you are swimming. Check your path for holes, rocks, coral and debris. Never dive head first. Lead with your hands.

You can use a credit card to scrape off jellyfish barb. Remove stingray poisons by soaking the sting in hot water. Use tweezers to remove sea urchin spines.

Don't drink and swim. Alcohol plays a role in many drownings because it leads to risk taking.

For surf conditions, call ahead to the local lifeguard agency or check surfline.com for video feeds.

Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, and avoid lengthy exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. 

Wear sunglasses with 99 percent or 100 percent UV protection. 
 

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