Sunshine Safety: A Few Tips for Florida Guests

Be Safe in the Sun

It is very easy to underestimate the Florida sun. At the beach, the sun not only shines above, but is also reflected off water or wet sand. That’s twice the sun. Many vacations are ruined by a first- day-of-vacation sunburn that keeps visitors inside trying to treat their painful skin. If you notice your skin becoming reddish or tender to the touch, get out of the sun immediately.

• Always use sunscreen if you plan to be in the sun for more than 20 minutes.
• Re-apply sunscreen after extended swimming or activities that induce a lot of sweating.
• Use sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 (sun protection factor)If you are very fair-skinned, a higher SPF sunscreen and spending less time in the sun are good ideas.

 Be Safe in the Heat

Sunscreen protects you from the sun’s brightness, but what about the heat? The consistently hot, humid conditions in Florida — at the beach, on the golf course, or during any outdoor activity — can lead to varying degrees of heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion can sneak up on even very fit people.

• Drink plenty of fluids. (Be careful if you must restrict fluids.)
• Avoid alcoholic beverages. They seem refreshing, but alcohol adds to dehydration.
• Protect yourself from the sun with sun screen, and light loose-fitting clothes that cover as much of your skin as possible. Sun damage limits the skin’s ability to keep your body cool.

 Be Safe on the Sand

The beach is a great place to take walks or play. Keep these tips in mind when you’re on the beach.

• Bring shoes or sandals to walk on hot sand. The dry, upper part of the beach can be quite hot on your feet. Even though the sand is very light colored, walking across it can feel like walking on a hot parking lot, and you can burn your feet. In fact, walking across parking lots and streets is another reason to have shoes or sandals handy.
• Watch for broken glass. People should avoid bringing glass to the beach, but they do. The soft, dry sand of the upper beach can hide sharp pieces of glass and shell.
• On Florida beaches, you might encounter large blobs of clearish jelly. These are jellyfish that have washed up onto the beach. They are intriguing, especially to children. However even dead jellyfish can have active stinging cells. Do not touch them, poke them with sticks, etc.

 Be Safe in the Surf

While many are content to relax in the sun or play on the shore, one of the great pleasures on the beach is playing in the surf.

• The most important thing you can do to be safe around water is learn to swim. If you are not a fair swimmer, do not wade in water deeper than your knees. If possible swim in areas protected by lifeguards.
• Be aware of riptides. As tides retreat, they can cause powerful underwater currents that pull down and across rather than directly away from the shore. These riptides can knock you off your feet and pull you under. If you encounter a riptide, walking or swimming, remember to walk or swim across the flow, not against it, and you will soon get out of it.
• There are animals in the ocean. So you may see or feel fish or the occasional crab. Despite news reports, shark bites are extremely rare. The small sharks that swim near the shore are looking for little fish, not toes or fingers. Should there be more sharks than usual near shore, authorities will issue an advisory.

Be Safe around Florida Critters

Florida is a subtropical state and home to an amazing variety of insects as well as many kinds of small animals.

Avoid fire ants. You won’t find these on the beach, of course, but in grassy areas, you may notice what appear to be large ant hills. Do not disturb them. The small brown ants inside swarm very quickly and over a wide area if the mound is disturbed and their bites are painful.

Dusk and dawn are good times for mosquito bites. Usually, strong beach breezes reduce the risk of bites, but inland, in areas near a lot of fresh water, mosquitoes can be a problem.

Although we have lots of wildlife in Florida, you are not very likely to encounter an animal. It should go without saying that you NEVER feed a wild animal. It can be thrilling to encounter an animal, and you may be tempted to throw them a tidbit to prolong their visit, however, feeding only makes them comfortable around humans and thus more of a risk. What may seem like a harmless gesture to you, only increases the danger to other people and to the animal itself. Over-friendly animals must often be relocated or destroyed.

A Final Word

Using reasonable precaution will guarantee a safe and emorable trip to Florida. It’s a beautiful and exciting place. Be safe and come back often!