RNLI Beach Safety Advice

A day at the beach should be fun, but the sea can be unpredictable. Follow these simple tips to help keep yourself and your family safe:

Check the conditions and always swim at a lifeguarded beach

Skegness Beach is patrolled by RNLI lifeguards between the end of May and beginning of September, between the hours of 10am and 6pm daily. Lifeguards are on hand to answer any questions or provide assistance with first aid, missing people as well as keeping an eye on swimmers in the water.

Remember: Float to Live

If you get into trouble in the water, fight your instinct to swim hard. Instead, float on your back, tilt your head back until your ears are in the water, relax, control your breathing and use your hands to stay afloat. Once calm, call for help or swim to safety.

 Understand the hazards

Before visiting the beach, check the tide times, weather conditions and be aware of risks such as rip currents, changing tides, strong waves and cold water shock. Skegness is a wide beach with a large tidal range that causes strong currents along the coastline. On warm days, especially at low tide, there can be an increased risk of weever fish stings as well as patches of mud.

There are also exposed structures both at the end of the pier at central beach and further along the coast towards Gibraltar Point. These are not only slippery and dangerous to climb on, but also create dangerous rip currents in the water around it. For this reason, it is important to listed to lifeguard advice and always swim between the flags.

Look out for the beach flags

• Red and yellow flags – Safe area for swimming and bodyboarding, supervised by lifeguards.
• Red flag – Danger. Do not enter the water.
• Orange windsock – Do not use inflatables as the wind is blowing out to sea

For more information on how to stay safe at the coast, please visit the RNLI’s dedicated beach safety website.

Gibraltar Point
Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve (Visitor Centre and café) can be found just south of Skegness, and is also a SSSI. Here, a network of paths will guide you through the intertidal habitats, freshwater marsh and seashore. Managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the site provides a key habitat for a number of important species.

Skegness
Walk along the front at Skegness and it’s a wonderland of family friendly attractions – go-karting, ten-pin bowling, funfairs and crazy golf are just some of the activities that will keep you entertained. If you want to kick back and relax then the Compass Gardens is a great place to sit and watch the world go by. At night you can choose between the big name shows at the Embassy Theatre where you can see stars on the stage throughout week, a visit to the cinema, a drink in a trendy bar or a top quality meal in one of the many restaurants.

Ingoldmells
Butlin’s latest development is Splash Water World where there are thrilling flumes and rides as well as quieter paddling areas perfect for little ones. Close to the beach is Fantasy Island which guarantees a real adrenaline buzz on some of the country’s most awesome rides as well as less fearsome fun for youngsters or for those who like fun at a gentler pace. For a little retail therapy Fantasy Island is also home to Europe’s largest seven-day market. Another great family attraction is Hardy’s Animal Farm where adults and children can meet, feed and make friends with the animals. There’s also a great outdoor playground and indoor playbarn for children to burn off some energy whilst having heaps of fun. Adjacent to Hardy’s is Jump Warriors Trampoline Park.

Chapel St Leonards
There are plenty of Things To Do in Chapel St Leonards. The beach and prom are the main attractions with plenty of arcades, amusements and bars to enjoy when you prefer to head indoors. The North Sea Observatory has a cafe offering a unique experience and The Green is a nice place to relax and enjoy some Fish and Chips.

Anderby Creek
With a beautiful stretch of sandy, unspoilt beach, Anderby Creek is as delightful as the name suggests and amongst the sand dunes you will find another ‘Structure on the Edge’; the Round and Round House is designed for all-year round bird watching. This is also where you can take a seat at the Cloud Bar, the UK’s first purpose-built cloud viewing platform where you can sit back and enjoy the natural shapes of cloud formations as they drift across East Lincolnshire’s big skies.

Huttoft
Huttoft beach, also known as Moggs Eye, is a quiet rural beach backed by sand dunes. Popular for swimming, surfing and fishing. Huttoft Car Terrace is large and as it is practically on the beach, giving great sea views.

Sandilands
The promenade allows for easy access for all to stroll along the front decorated by an array of individual beach huts. From here the promenade stretches all the way to Mablethorpe.  The former golf course at Sandilands has become a new nature reserve forming part of the Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park.

Sutton on Sea
There’s plenty to see and do, be it a gentle stroll along the promenade or some family fun in the Pleasure Gardens where you will find a paddling pool, bowling green and a children’s play area, set against a beautiful backdrop of floral displays. The High Street is home to a variety of independent shops from butchers to antique shops where you will find first class customer service and a choice of pubs, cafes and restaurants providing a great choice of places to eat.

Mablethorpe
A popular seaside resort. Attractions include The Mablethorpe Seal Sanctury & Wildlife Centre, Lincolnshire Aquapark, and close by Donna Nook Nature Reserve where baby seals can be seen in November and December. In June 2019, Lincolnshire’s most significant 21st century public artwork, created by Marcus Vergette was installed. One of just 7 in the UK,  The Time & Tide Bell, mounted on the north end beach, is rung by the sea at high tide.