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Beach Safety

Published

Dec 9, 2024

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There is nothing like a great day at the beach, but injuries and incidents can still occur. By planning ahead and understanding what to look out for and how to deal with some of the potential dangers, you can leave the beach with just a suntan and good memories.

Notice: Pets, alcohol, and drones are NOT permitted at Manatee County beaches.

    Swimming Areas

    Swimming areas are designated with the USCG SWIM AREA buoys. These buoys are located in front of all lifeguarded areas and are there to designate a safe swim area for beach patrons. Swimmers MUST remain inside the designated buoyed swim area. Inflatable kayaks and inflatable SUPs are allowed in the swim area with swimmers but MUST remain inside the designated swim area as well. Any motorized, hard shell, non-human powered vessel must remain outside the swim area. Vessels are NOT allowed to drop off or pick up beach patrons. There are some limited acceptations to the hard-shell rule on certain beaches i.e., surfboards, hard-shell kayaks, and SUPs, so when in doubt ask a lifeguard. 

     

    Beach Conditions

    Water Temperatures range from about 59ºF/15ºC in the winter to approximately 88ºF/31ºC in the summer, with an average of 74ºF/24ºC.

     

    Tides range from one to three feet under normal conditions and may represent two or four tides per day.

     

    Sun exposure at this latitude may be more severe than you are accustomed to, so always take precautionary measures. Wear sunscreen of at least 15 SPF and don't remain in the sun for more than a few hours on your first day or two. For best results, when wearing sunscreen, you must reapply it throughout the day. 

     

    Piers, Jetties and Rocks

    When you come to our beaches, you will see a variety of man-made structures.  These include large concrete piers, smaller concrete jetties surrounded by rocks, and wooden trestle-like jetties built to contain large boulders and rocks.  These structures were built in the 1950s for "beach retention," or to help maintain the conditions of the beach.

    Unfortunately, these structures have been eroded over the years, and in some cases, they have become unsafe.  These concrete and wooden structures, along with the rocks that surround them, are not safe to walk on, climb on or swim near.  Waves, currents and the marine life (barnacles, oysters etc) that grows on these structures can easily lead to injury.

    Please pay attention to the signage on these structures, the barricades that are erected on some of the larger piers and, most importantly, the direction of the lifeguards.  If you hear a whistle, stop what you are doing and look for the lifeguard; he or she may be trying to steer you away from trouble.

     

    Beach and Park Ordinances

    Manatee County owns and operates recreational areas and facilities including beaches, parks, conservation lands and golf courses.  In order to maintain these facilities and bring greater clarity and consistency to its parks and recreation regulatory scheme, the County Commission has adopted Chapter 2-24 of the County Code, which governs parks and recreation.

    The County Commission found this to be necessary for the health, safety and welfare of all persons who patronize the county's parks and recreation lands and facilities, and to preserve them for future generations.

    View Park Ordinance 2-24