Skip to main content
Livredder board
Print

Water safety by the North Sea

Photo: VisitVesterhavet

When the sun is shining, there's nothing better than spending a nice day at the beach. But you'll have the best and most safe experience if you always remember the 5 swimming tips.

 

1. Learn to swim
When you can swim, you can often save yourself and others from drowning. If you choose to enter the water even though you can't swim, find a place where you can feel the ground in the water and the conditions are calm. 

2. Never go into the water alone
When there are several of you, you can keep an eye on each other and react quickly if something goes wrong. This makes everyone safer. Avoid dangerous water games and never shout for help just for fun.

3. Read the wind and water
Use your eyes and common sense before you swim. Check the depth and current of the water and keep an eye on the wind direction. When the wind is offshore, beach toys, inflatables and air mattresses quickly drift out to sea. There is also an increased risk of firefighters. In onshore winds, there is an increased risk of reef holes with strong outflow.

4. Get to know the beach
A new beach can be full of surprises that can't be seen with the naked eye. Ask the locals or a lifeguard about the specifics of the beach before you enter the water. Is there a fast ferry passing by that can cause big waves? Is the beach known to be very steep, so it gets deep quickly? Are there piers or jetties that affect the current? Abroad, you should also be aware of underwater reefs or dangerous animals. Also, always read the beach information signs.

5. Don't let your children out of your sight
Stay close to your swimming children so you can see and hear each other and intervene if necessary. Even older children who swim well in a swimming pool can easily get into trouble when faced with the ocean's currents and waves. So keep a close eye on children and make sure they don't get distracted.

 

Download the official booklet

Ask the lifeguards at the beach 

The North Sea can be rough and dangerous, but if you follow these advice and try and estimate the currents, water depth, and wind directions before you venture into the waves, there’s no problem with going swimming. In case you’re in doubt, ask the locals or the lifeguards, if there’s something you should know, before you go swimming.  

Be careful of air mattresses 

Beach toys, rubber boats, and air mattresses can drift out to sea quickly and be the cause of a rescue operation being set in motion, if other people see them far out and think there are people on or by them. 

Respect the sea 

Don’t shout HELP for the fun of it and don’t play dangerous games in the water, such as pushing each other, forcing each other under the surface, having competitions about who can keep their breath the longest and so on. 

Pay special attention to kids in the water 

Pay special attention to kids - both on the beach and in the water. Maybe only go swimming where lifeguards are present. 

Lifeguards all summer 

There are lifeguards at the south beach in Hvide Sande and at the beach next to Badevej in Søndervig all summer.

The blue flag

A major part of our beaches and harbours have the blue flag, which signals that the beach: 

  • Is clean and attended to regularly

  • Has clean water of high quality 

  • Is obligated to take down the blue flag in case of acute pollution 

  • Has clean restrooms and well maintained buildings 

  • Has garbage sorting

  • Has life saving equipment, a medical kit, and an emergency phone nearby - and in some cases lifeguards

 

Enjoying the holiday and icecream in Hvide Sande
Photo: hvidesande.dk

Safety in the sun

Beach numbers
Photo: Presse

Beach numbers

Livredder board
Photo: VisitVesterhavet

Beaches with lifeguards

Bathing points


Badepunkt is a Nordic labelling scheme that focuses on highlighting bathing spots that do not necessarily have a lot of services and facilities attached, but focus on the good bathing experience in the form of clean bathing water, locally adapted bathing safety and the opportunity for special outdoor, nature or cultural experiences.

The bathing point season can run from 1 June to 15 September. However, each municipality may choose to have a shorter season, but the bathing point flag must be raised by 1 July at the latest. During the bathing water season, the quality of the bathing water will be measured regularly.

See which beaches in Denmark fulfil the criteria as a bathing point here.

 

Social Media:

Tourist information

Andre sider

Visitvesterhavet © 2024
Data Protection Notice
English