Dubai: Swimming and diving experts have urged residents to check wind currents and the temperature at the beach before heading out for a day under the sun.
While more than five cases of drowning have taken place in UAE beaches this year alone, understanding the risks of swimming in the sea and the swimming pool is necessary.
Mohammad Helmi, Training and Operational Manager in Al Boom Diving, warned swimmers and divers to never swim against a current. “If there is a current, it’s advisable to only swim by the shore and avoid going into the sea.”
When swimming in the sea, Helmi said, people should slowly swim perpendicular to a current or simply request to be picked up by the boat if diving. Beach lifeguards need to be aware of two types of tides on a daily basis. The first is a high tide where the level of seawater comes up high on the beach shoreline. The second is a low tide, where the level of seawater is low on the shoreline and higher in the sea.
Lily Tassel, head coach at Waves Swim and Sport Academy, also explained that there is a six-hour time difference between high tide and low tide. This means that it will take six hours for a tide to go from low tide to high tide and then another six hours to go from high tide to low tide.
A third and dangerous type of tide that does not commonly take place in Dubai is rip tide, said Helmi.
“Rip tides are sometimes found near islands in Abu Dhabi where the land is high.” Rip tides are strong sea currents which are formed by the strong winds pushing water towards the shore.
While wind currents affect the water conditions of the sea, swimmers are alerted about the safety of swimming through the flag system regulated by beach lifeguards. “When the flag is yellow, it means that there is a lifeguard on the beach and swimming is allowed. A red flag indicates that there is a lifeguard but swimming is not allowed,” explained Helmi. He also added that if a flag is not raised on a beach, it indicates that there is no lifeguard in the area.
Dubai Municipality officials warned beachgoers not to swim after sunset, not to swim close to rocks, and not to swim when the red flag is raised.
While it is mandatory for beaches to have rescue services in the form of either lifeguards, ports’ police patrols or a combination of both, to monitor beachgoers and come to their aid in the event of an accident or emergency, officials stress that swimmers and visitors have the responsibility to adhere to the basic safety instructions.
The Public Parks Department at Dubai Municipality is responsible for several open beaches and has clear-cut rules on the safety of beachgoers that apply to the four public beaches — Al Mamzar Open Beach, Al Mamzar Beach Park, Jumeirah Open Beach and Jumeirah Beach Park.
