Underwater hazards

Watch out for underwater hazards

There are some dangers at the beach that you can't always see. The depth of the water will change from hour to hour and hide things like rocks, piers and breakwaters (concrete structures in the sea).

Don't jump into the unknown - tombstoning

Tombstoning is a high-risk, unregulated and unsupervised activity that involves jumping or diving from a height into water. Tombstoning is dangerous because:

• water depth changes with the tide so the water may be shallower than it seems
• you may not see submerged objects, like rocks
• strong currents can sweep you away

Before you are tempted to jump:

• look for any hazards in the water
• check the water's depth - as a rule of thumb, it should be at least five metres deep for a jump from a height of 10 metres
• make sure there's a way to get out of the water
• don't let alcohol, drugs or peer pressure affect your judgment

If you see someone in trouble

If you see someone in trouble, phone 999/ 112 and ask for the coastguard.