Before You Unpack: Read the Beach First

Ten minutes of looking before the towels come out makes the whole day calmer. Check the tide times on the day, not from memory – most UK beaches flood and drain enormous distances, and a sandbank that is dry at lunchtime can be an island by mid-afternoon. Tide tables are posted at beach entrances, in local shops and on harbour noticeboards. Note the wind direction too: an offshore breeze feels glorious on your face but will carry an inflatable, a paddleboard or a lilo out to sea faster than you can swim after it.

If there are lifeguards, walk over and look at the flags. They are not decoration:

• Red and yellow flags – the patrolled swimming zone. This is where you swim, full stop.
• Red flag – no swimming. Conditions are dangerous, even if the sea looks flat and inviting.
• Black and white chequered flag – surfboards, kayaks and paddleboards only; keep swimmers clear.
• Orange windsock – offshore wind. Inflatables stay in the bag.

Pick a landmark to meet at if anyone gets separated: a groyne, a flag, the ice cream hut, a distinctive rock. Point it out to every child and make them say it back.

Rip Currents: The Quiet Hazard

Rip currents are the biggest cause of coastal drowning in the UK, and they do not look like much. They are narrow, fast channels of water heading out to sea, often only a few metres wide, running through gaps in sandbars or beside groynes and piers. Look for a patch of darker, choppier water, a break in the pattern of incoming waves, or foam and debris being dragged steadily seawards. They can shift position with the tide, which is why the flagged zone matters so much.

Teach children the rule before they go in: if you feel yourself being pulled out, do not try to swim straight back against it. Tell them to relax, float on their back, raise one arm and shout for the lifeguard. The current usually weakens just beyond the surf line. If they can, they should swim parallel to the shore until they are out of the channel, then angle back in on the waves. Adults caught in one should do exactly the same – fighting a rip exhausts you in minutes. If you are on the beach and see someone in trouble, do not swim in after them. Call for the lifeguard or dial 999 and ask for the coastguard, and keep your eyes on the person so you can point rescuers to them.

Cuts, Stings and Sharp Surprises

British beaches are generally gentle, but bare feet on a shingly shore, a rusty fishing hook or a piece of broken glass will ruin an afternoon. A small first aid kit in the beach bag is worth its weight: plasters, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, a roll of tape and hand sanitiser. Wash any cut in clean water, cover it, and keep an eye on it – sand in a wound is uncomfortable, and a cut from metal or a shell can become infected. Check your tetanus cover is up to date before the season starts.

The two stings worth knowing about are weever fish and jellyfish. Weevers bury in shallow sand at low tide and a stepped-on spine causes intense pain; the standard first aid is to soak the foot in water as hot as you can safely bear for at least fifteen minutes, then seek medical advice. Jellyfish stings vary from a mild tingle to something much worse – never touch the tentacles with bare hands, rinse with seawater rather than fresh, and ask a lifeguard for help. Anyone with breathing difficulty, swelling of the face or widespread symptoms needs urgent medical attention.

Sun, Wind and the Seaside Illusion

British beach days are deceptively burny. Sea breezes keep you cool while UV bounces off sand, shingle and water, so families burn on cloudy days in May as readily as in August. UV is strongest between about 11am and 3pm, roughly March to October.

• Use a high-factor, broad-spectrum sun cream and apply it before you leave the house – not on the beach, where you will miss patches.
• Reapply every two hours and straight after swimming, towelling or a sand-fight.
• Rash vests and long-sleeved swim tops do more than any cream for children in and out of the water.
• Wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses and a UV sun tent or parasol for shade.
• Keep babies under six months out of direct sunlight entirely.

Offer water regularly. Children rarely notice they are thirsty when there is a bucket and spade involved.

Keeping Children Within Sight

One adult to two children is a sensible ratio in the water, and under-fives should be within arm's reach at all times – not watching distance, reaching distance. Agree who is on watch before anyone swims, rather than assuming someone else is looking. Count heads every time you move: after a swim, before a picnic, whenever you stand up.

For older children, a buddy system works well – nobody swims alone, and they stay where they can see you. Write your mobile number on a wristband or in pen on their forearm, and rehearse what to do if they lose you: stay where they are, find a lifeguard or a family with children, and show the number. Dress them in bright colours rather than blues and greys, which vanish against water and shingle.

Dunes and Beachcombing, Gently

Dunes are fragile places full of life. Stick to the paths and boardwalks, because marram grass holds the sand in place and a few careless feet can start a blowout that takes years to heal. Between March and August the dunes and upper beach are nursery grounds for ringed plover, little tern and oystercatcher; keep dogs on leads where signs ask, and give any roped-off area a wide berth. Never light fires in the dunes, and take every piece of litter home.

Beachcombing is one of the great free pleasures of the coast, and it is better when it is gentle. Look for mermaid's purses, cuttlefish bones, sea glass and driftwood, but leave live creatures where they are – a stranded jellyfish, a crab in a rockpool and a starfish on the sand all belong there. Turn rocks back exactly as you found them, keep finds in a bucket of seawater rather than a dry bag, and put everything back before you leave. Carry a bag for any litter you pass, and wear shoes on the shingle. You will go home sandy, tired and quietly pleased, which is exactly how a beach day should end.