Hazard Symbols
At beaches up and down our coastline, you will see signage highlighting the hazards. Select the symbols below to learn more about each hazard.
The main hazards include:
UNEXPECTEDLY ENTERING THE WATER
Around 20% of the people who drown either slip, trip or fall into the water. They never intended to get wet.
COLD WATER
Cold water shock is triggered in water temperatures lower than 15⁰C – the average temperature of Pacific Rim waters is 10⁰C. So even in the summer, the water temperature is cold enough to cause cold water shock, which can steal the air from your lungs and leave you helpless in minutes.
RIP CURRENTS AND UNEXPECTED WAVES
Rip currents can travel faster than an Olympic swimmer and can pull even the strongest swimmers out to sea. And unexpected waves can quickly knock people off their feet.