Swim safe at Perth beaches

A quick tip for any visitors to Perth: please take care when you swim at our beautiful beaches. And I’m not talking about looking out for sharks, because they visit a lot more rarely than the media might have you think. What can get tricky on a Perth beach is the rips and tidal movements that might drag you out to sea when you least expect it.

At most of the major beaches during summer – like City Beach, Cottesloe Beach, Scarborough Beach or Leighton Beach – you’ll very often see the surf lifesavers set up there along with their red and yellow flags. There’s a really good reason that they ask you to swim between the flags, because the lifesavers know the beaches a whole lot more intimately than we do, and especially if it’s your first time there, it really pays to trust that they know the safest areas to swim.

Stay between the flags and you’re bound to be safe, cool and happy. Perth’s beaches are amongst the most beautiful in the world – and I don’t just say that because it’s my hometown, I promise! – so be safe and enjoy them. Oh, and take plenty of sunscreen and something to shade yourself with – it gets pretty hot and you don’t want to spend the rest of your vacation nursing painful sunburn. Ouch.