Drowning: The best way to prevent this hazard is to wear a properly adjusted PFD (Personal flotation device). Anyone venturing into the open ocean without a trained guide should should be a confident swimmer.
Sting rays: San Diego’s beaches attract sting rays, especially in the summer. These are easily avoided by doing the “Sting Ray Shuffle” and shuffling your feet across the sand when wading. The sting rays will get out of your way! If you lift your feet while wading and step on one, it will defend itself with the sharp barb on the end of it’s long tail. This barb contains a toxin that is not harmful, but extremely painful. The only relief is to soak in very hot water for about an hour. After that, provide quality normal wound care for dirty cuts and monitor for infection. The Lifeguard tower is equipped with buckets of hot water and first aid supplies.
High speed impacts with hard objects: Breaking waves near shore accelerate kayaks and other vessels rapidly towards swimmers, other kayaks, rocks, and shore. Depending on the size of the breaking waves, resulting impacts may just be bumps and bruises, or broken and dislocated bones. An 80lb kayak surfing a 2′ wave and impacting a child can be devastating. Collisions can be avoided by:
- Only launching and landing in conditions that match your skill level. While a skilled paddler can maintain control in 4-6′ waves, beginners will find 2′ waves challenging.
- Only launch and land when there are no other water users in the path ahead of you, and when the areas on either side are also clear. Special care should be taken when landing. If a wave inadvertently surfs your kayak, you will have no control.
- If you get knocked off your kayak, move to the ocean side of it so the next wave won’t slam it into you. If possible, hold onto it so it doesn’t surf towards other water users, but beware of grabbing ropes attached to the kayak as they can damage your hands.
- Do NOT enter caves or paddle close to rocks when there are any breaking waves present. Keep in mind that much larger “sets” of waves may appear “out-of-nowhere” every 5 minutes, or every 45 minutes. Expect the unexpected!
Temperature extremes: We are blessed in southern CA to have such a mild climate that serious hyper- and hypothermia are not common. However, water and air temperatures in the winter can be quite cold and prolonged exposure can lead to death. Wetsuits are recommended in the winter, but even a windbreaker can slow heat loss. Stay close to shore, pay attention to changing weather conditions, and limit your time on the water. Don’t kayak in the winter if you haven’t practiced re-mounting your kayak in deep water.
Sun: Sunscreen, hats, and protective clothing are important safety measures. If your paddling a sit-on-top kayak, your shins at tops of your feet are particularly susceptible to sunburn. Consider the environment when enjoying our beaches and opt for protective clothing instead of chemical sunscreens whenever possible.