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Play it Safe
The beaches within the State of Florida have adopted the following flag system to alert beachgoers of surf conditions. Flags are posted at all public beach areas and conditions are monitored throughout each day. Please remember that the absence of red flags does not assure safe conditions. On Panama City beaches, it is illegal to enter the water when the double red flag is being flown.

	Water Closed to Public			High Hazard (High Surf and/or Strong Currents)

	Medium Hazard (Moderate Surf and/or Currents)			Low Hazard (Calm Conditions, Exercise Caution)

				Dangerous Marine Life

Sunburn (Sun Poisoning)

Sunburn results from too much sun or sun-equivalent exposure. Almost everyone has been sunburned or will become sunburned at some time. Anyone who visits a beach, goes fishing, works in the yard, or simply is out in the sun can get sunburn. Improper tanning bed use is also a source of sunburn. Although seldom fatal (sun poisoning), sunburn can be disabling and cause quite a bit of discomfort.

Sunburn is literally a burn on your skin. It is a burn from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The consequence of this burn is inflammation of the skin. Injury can start within 30 minutes of exposure.

Treatment

Home care starts before a sunburn. If you are prepared before going out in the sun, you probably won't need these tips and techniques.

Immediate self-care is aimed at stopping the UV radiation.

Get out of the sun

Cover exposed skin

Get out of the tanning bed

Relief of the discomfort becomes important.

Medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen are useful, especially when started early.

For mild sunburn, cool compresses with equal parts of milk and water may suffice. You may also use cold compresses with Burow solution. You can buy this at a drugstore. Dissolve 1 packet in 1 pint of water. Soak gauze or a soft clean cloth in it. Gently wring out the cloth and apply to the sunburned area for 15-20 minutes. Change or refresh the cloth and solution every 2-3 hours.

Anyone raised in a beach community knows the secret of aloe-based lotions. There are many commercially available types. Ask the pharmacist at your local drugstore. Tearing apart your aloe plant in the yard and applying the cool jellylike substance inside the leaves is no longer necessary.

Cool (not ice cold) baths may help. Avoid bath salts, oils, and perfumes because these may produce sensitivity reactions. Avoid scrubbing the skin or shaving the skin. Use soft towels to gently dry yourself. Don't rub. Use a light, fragrance-free skin moisturizer.

Avoid lotions that contain topical anesthetic medications because you can become sensitized and then allergic to that medicine.

Obviously, stay out of the sun while you are sunburned.

Jellyfish Stings

Jellyfish are aquatic animals that can cause a "sting" when they come into direct contact with humans or other animals. Injuries usually occur when humans are swimming or wading in ocean waters and accidentally come into direct contact with these marine creatures. The stingers are usually located at the ends of the tentacles and contain poisons that can be toxic to humans. In most cases, however, the poisons only cause injury to the part of skin that comes into direct contact with the tentacles.

Treatment

	Rinse the affected area with salt water or don’t rinse it at all. Do not rinse the involved area of skin with fresh water, because it will further activate nematocysts and worsen the reaction.
	Using protective gloves or forceps, remove any tentacles still in contact with the victim.
	Apply acetic acid 5% (white vinegar). This will inactivate undischarged nematocysts and the toxin and will help to decrease symptoms.

Swimming in the Gulf

A rip tide, or undertow, is a small but strong channel of water moving out to sea. Rip tides are characterized by darker, deeper and foamier water, sometimes with floating debris. The area where the rip is usually calm with a rippled surface and smaller waves.

If you get caught in a rip tide,

	Stay calm, and do not swim directly against it.
	If you are a strong swimmer, swim parallel to shore until you are past the current, and then swim toward the shore.
	If you are a weak swimmer, signal to the lifeguard and either float with the current or continue to tread water until help arrives.

Red Tide

What we call red tide is actually a "bloom" of algae in our waters. Most red algae species are not hazardous to swimmers, but a few pose a threat to shellfish eaters. Shellfish, including clams, oysters, quahogs, mussels and scallops, filter the water around themselves in order to find food. In the process, they may ingest algae that is harmful to humans. The algae's toxin becomes concentrated in the shellfish. A single oyster can filter up to 7 gallons of water per hour. Non-filter feeders, such as lobsters, crabs and shrimp, are not affected by red tide blooms.