A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.
-John A. Shedd

Sometimes water related activities can be dangerous, but for the most part, following a few simple safety suggestions will help athletes avoid injury. Whether playing in the pool, revving up for a day of skiing, or donning a helmet in preparation for a wild white water trip, those embarking on an aquatic adventure should take a few logical precautions.

Although these ideas are not a full collection of safety information from the Coast Guard, we suggest using these common sense tactics to help your family avoid injury.

1 - Always wear a lifejacket when in or around the water.

Even the strongest swimmers can get in bad situations. A young girl with several years of water ski training and lifeguarding nearly drown at a local wave pool due to her inabilty to fight the overpowering waves. She never imagined that something would overcome her ability to swim after she had recovered from numerous intense falls on water skis, but the pressure from the waves was so great that the girl had to be rescued by three life guards. She was throroughly embarrassed as sputtered her thanks to the rescuers.

The moral of this story: even the best of swimmers should wear a life vest when playing around the water. Although when conscious and calm they may be able to swim 5 miles, a person who is injured or upset may need the extra flotation to help them survive until help comes.

2 - Learn CPR and First Aid.

It's always a good idea to know how to help in an emergency. Not only may you be able to rescue another from a tough situation; you may also learn important guidelines for a calm and efficient reaction to danger.

Take CPR classes and First Aid, whenever you have the opportunity. Knowing a few simple and logical steps may save a life.

3 - Learn to swim.

Swimming is such a natural action for humans that many babies are born with the ability to swim! If you don't already know how, take lessons!

4 - Never swim or dive anywhere except clearly marked areas with a lifeguard.

When a boat slides out into the lake on a sweltering summer day, a strong swimmer wearing easily dried clothes is heartily tempted to jump right in! However, some lakes can be extremely deceiving, seeming bottomless, when in fact they are only 12 feet deep inthe middle. Be extremely careful when diving or jumping into water. Although the bottom may not be visible, it also may not be very far away from the bottom of the boat.

The best way to stay safe when swimming or diving is to go with a friend, using the buddy system, and swim or dive only in marked areas.

5 - Be careful when entering or exiting the water from a boat.

When scuba diving, snorkeling, or water skiing, the sport often requires exiting or entering the boat from the back. This can be an especially dangerous aspect of the sport. Be extremely careful of propeller blades, anchor ropes, fishing line, or any other items that might be beneath the water near the boat.

Wait for your driver to come to a complete stop and shut off the motor before approaching the vehicle.

6 - Know which local water animals may be dangerous.

As a little girl in a trout stream, the crawdads seemed like aliens that had landed in our trout streams with the mission to gather "little girl toes" for their leader. In fact, when we gathered the right amount of gumption, catching them was quite a feat! The crawdads were not interested in hurting humans for fun, and the young humans couldn't move fast enough to catch the little critters. We called a truce and left them completely alone after that.

7 - When diving or snorkeling, look- don't touch!

Many underwater accidents happen due to blind groping. Many divers or snorkelers use their hands while lurking through the depths, and mistakenly grab a poisonous animal. It is important to avoid touching the bottom when underwater for visibility reasons as well.

8 - Take classes or go with a certified guide.

Whether you are white water rafting, swimming, or snorkeling it is important to prepare for the sport before diving in. Many sports require certification; and even if your chosen activity doesn't, it's still a good idea to find out more about safety before going.

9 - Wear sunscreen!

The reflection of sunlight from water can be intense enough to cause nasty sunburns. Avoid painful sunburns and blisters by carrying a small bottle of waterproof sunblock, and protect eyes with sunglasses.

10 - Go with a buddy!

Never surf, swim, dive, raft, fish, canoe, kayak, or jetski alone. If a person is injured during their sport, having a buddy nearby can save a life. Find a friend who wants to play in the water as well, and work together to have a splashing safe summer!