PLEASE NOTE: - All the beaches on the Llyn
Peninsula are not patrolled by Beach Lifeguards at any time of the year.
Nets: Please note that fishing nets are sometimes laid at Porth Neigwl between September and Easter. These should be avoided as they are potentially dangerous if you are washed into one.
- There is useful Safety Information on
the RNLI Beach Safety Site - click
here
- The British Surfing Association
Have a Code of Conduct - click
here
- What Are Rip Tides
/ Rip Currents (Rips)?
We are often asked this question this question in relation to Porth
Neigwl (Hell's Mouth) - but the same advice applies to all beaches where
there are surf conditions. As there are no lifeguards on our beaches
- it is important to have some knowledge of these currents if you are
thinking of hiring surfing or body boarding equipment.
Rips can be found
on any beach where there are waves and they are currents running out
to sea that can easily take swimmers from shallow water out beyond their
depth. Rip currents are particularly powerful in larger surf. Waves
bring water up the beach which has to escape somewhere so it takes the
path of least resistance back out to see in between sandbars (an example
of a sandbar is arrowed in the photo below).
Examples Of Sandbars at Porth Neigwl
In bigger surf conditions,
a series of waves flowing over the sandbars can exert so much pressure
that it punches a whole through the sandbar or the sandbar collapses.
This means there is a sudden rush of water back out to sea and this
movement creates the rip tide, and is the chief reason it is so dangerous.
An example of such a rip occurred in Cornwall recently - see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4134220.stm
Spotting a rip current
- Discoloured or brown water - caused by the sand being stirred
up from the seabed.
- Foam on the water's surface.
- A break in the surf line where the waves are not as big.
- Debris floating out to sea.
- A rippled patch of sea, when the water around is generally calm.
Getting out of trouble
- The most important thing is to remain calm and try not to panic.
If you do panic you will only make yourself more tired and reduce your
ability to reach safety.
- Keep hold of your body board, surfboard or inflatable and don't
fight the rip current.
- Think of it like a treadmill that cannot be turned off, which you
need to step to the side of.
- Try and swim parallel to the beach and towards where the waves are
breaking until you are out of the rip current, then swim toward the
shore.
- If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly
tread water. When out of the current, swim towards shore.
- If you are still unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself
by waving your arm and yelling for help.
- Never try and swim directly towards the shore against the rip
current.
- If you can stand up, wade instead of swimming.
Please feel free to e-mail us for more information
