By: Charleston County Parks
With beach season just around the corner, many locals and tourists will soon flock to our local beaches. Charleston County Parks encourages all beachgoers to familiarize themselves with important tips and practices to have the most enjoyable and safe time at the beaches of the Lowcountry.
The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) operates Folly Beach County Park (FBCP), Isle of Palms County Park (IOPCP) and Kiawah Beachwalker Park (BWP), and also offers lifeguards seasonally on the beach near the Folly Beach Pier (from 2nd Street East to 3rd Street West). To make the most of your beach outing, guests are advised to arrive at the beach parks early or later in the day during the summer. Mornings and late afternoons are great times to take in the scenic Carolina coastline. Weekends tend to be the busiest times for the beach parks, but nice weather weekdays and long holiday weekends have the potential to become very busy as well.
As large numbers of people head out to the beaches during warm spring days and throughout the summer, guests should create an alternate plan just in case the park is full. CCPRC also strongly encourages guests to carpool to our beach parks to help maximize parking availability. Have payment ready to help reduce wait times at park gates and be sure to only use one parking spot. The Beach Reach app, which was developed by the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments, is a fantastic resource to make planning a beach trip as easy as possible. Download the Beach Reach app to monitor live beach traffic cameras and to get information on parking and local rules and policies.
Charleston County Parks' beach parks all offer seasonally lifeguarded areas each summer. Even with highly trained lifeguard staff on hand, it is crucial for beach-goers to familiarize themselves with important beach and water safety tips. Guests should always observe and obey all lifeguard commands, warning flags and signs. For a schedule of when lifeguards will be on duty this summer, check back to CharlestonCountyParks.com.
Parents are strongly advised to keep watch on their children at all times. Charleston County Parks recommends that parents teach their children to always look for the lifeguards in the event that they get separated from their parents or caregiver. Parents should report missing children to the lifeguard staff immediately so that the search process can begin. Taking a photo of your child when you arrive at the beach can help with the search in the event your child becomes lost.
It is also essential for beach-goers to learn how to identify rip currents and be able to escape from them. Rip currents are identified by choppy and different colored water, a break in a wave pattern or foam and seaweed moving out towards the sea. Charleston County Parks advises swimmers not to panic or swim against the current if you are caught in one. The best way to escape is to swim parallel to the shoreline and swim back to the shore in a diagonal direction to move away from the rip current. In addition, swimmers are urged to wave to get the lifeguards' attention so they can assist in a rescue.
When storms arise at the beach, lightning strikes are possible. If lightning is spotted, all visitors to the area should seek appropriate shelter.
For more information on Charleston County Parks beach parks and safety, call 843-795-4386 or visit CharlestonCountyParks.com.
