Beacon Watch

boats, safety, sports

Swim

Winterizing your recreational boat correctly is certainly one of the least enjoyable aspects of owning a boat. But it is also one of the most important. With a relatively small investment of time and money, you can insure that your boat will be functioning perfectly when springtime rolls back around. Winterization is important financially (as it saves you from making potentially costly repairs), and it is also an important element of boating safety. (After all, should something go wrong over the course of the winter, there is a chance you may not realize it until the next time you are out on the water!)

Proper winterization involves a number of distinct steps that ultimately depend upon what kind of boat you have. If you are completely new to the process, we reccomend that you check out a comprehensive guide to winterization, such as this excellent resource offered by DiscoverBoating.com.

Regardless of your experience level, however, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. A mistake in winterization can lead to a potentially dangerous situation out on the water, though–which is why it’s important to keep these frequently overlooked steps in mind.

  1. Perform a deep clean and diagnostic examination. Taking the time to deep clean your boat at the end of boating season is an enormous favor that your future self will really appreciate come springtime. But it is also an important safety precaution–it allows you the chance to double-check for any potential problems that have arisen over the past months.
  2. Fill Gas Tank. This prevents condensation from leaving water in the tank. Some boaters claim that they would rather deal with the water problem than waste an entire tank of gas–however, this is ultimately short sighted. (And, with gasoline stabilizer, it is possible to prevent your gasoline from expiring anyway.)
  3. Always Leave the Boat Covered. This step is frequently overlooked by those who are storing their boats in an indoor garage. Because boating upholstery can potentially cost thousands to replace, however, (and because the unexpected does happen from time to time,) the small investment of a cover is always worth it.

Always Committed to Boating Safety.

Boating safety is an ongoing commitment that requires level-headedness, careful maintenance, and an investment in safety equipment. To learn more about the latest and greatest in boating safety equipment, visit Beacon Watch online today.

From swimming pools to a day on the lake—water offer endless recreation for people of all ages. However, it should not be ignored that, without proper care, water can present a serious danger to young children. It is very important, therefore, for parents to understand the basics of water safety both for themselves and for the children. Read on to learn more about how you can keep your children safe around water.

General Rules

  • Young children should always wear a lifejacket when in or around water.
  • Young children should always be supervised by an adult when in or around water.
  • These rules apply to even the smallest bodies of water, such as kiddie pools.

Rules for Boating

  • When it comes to boating, it is important for parents to remember that young children should wear their lifejackets, fully latched and properly placed, at all times. Though it is not always mandatory for adults to wear lifejackets, you may wish to consider wearing yours at all times in order to set a good example (and to keep yourself safe.)

Rules for the Pool

  • Backyard swimming pools must always be surrounded by a fence that prevents young children from entering unsupervised. This is one of the most important steps you can take in order to prevent drowning. NEVER allow you child to go near water unsupervised!
  • Spas and hot tubs are unsafe for young children as they can cause rapid overheating.

On Swimming Lessons

  • For children 5 years of age and older, swimming lessons are an important part of water safety. For children aged 1-4, water exposure and swimming lessons can make a difference, but parents should always assume that such children have zero swimming ability in order to prevent a dangerous situation.

Learn more…

With proper attention to safety, water recreation can be safe and fun for everyone! For more water safety information, visit the Beacon-Watch blog.

  Because no boat is entirely trustworthy—think of the Titanic—even if you are the greatest boater in the world, you may one day need to be able to survive in the water without it. This is why one of the most important aspects of boating safety actually has nothing to do with boats. Swimming is one of the most crucial skills to a safe boater, and, of all of the different methods of staying afloat, treading water may be the most useful to a boater. This is because rather than trying to swim to the shore, the passenger of a capsized boat is typically simply waiting where he or she is in order to be rescued. Below are 5 steps on how to tread water efficiently and correctly.

  • Do not try to swim. When swimming, you turn your body horizontally in the water and kick your legs. However, when treading water, you keep your body upright and use both your arms and legs.
  • Move your arms horizontally, and your legs back and forth in a circular motion.
  • Do not panic. Additionally, continue breathing normally. Panicking and hyperventilating can only waste your energy and make it more difficult to actually stay above the water.
  • Lie on your back if you are having trouble staying afloat in the normal position. This will also become difficult after a while, but it uses different muscles and different technique than regular water treading, so it may help you rest and stay afloat longer.
  • Use anything around you to stay afloat. This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you happen to see any floating debris—wood, garbage, etc—in the water, do not hesitate to grab onto it.

Looking for more ways to stay safe while boating? Check out BeaconWatch today for state of the art boating safety solutions.

Why Learn Different Swimming Strokes?

As you could probably guess, learning how to swim proficiently is one of the most important steps you can take in order to be safer in the water. According to the organization USA Swimming, formal swimming lessons dramatically decrease the risk of drowning—especially for young children. This fact highlights the importance of learning how to swim, and learning how to swim well! How can one improve their swimming even after mastering “the basics?” One recommendation that is particularly rewarding is learning new swimming strokes!

4 Reasons to Learn New Swimming Strokes

  1. Swimming several different strokes works different sets of muscles. This allows swimming to be a more complete workout. Additionally, it eases excessive stress on any one set of muscles, thus reducing the risk of a swimming related injury.
  2. Switching between strokes can decrease fatigue when swimming long distances.
  3. Each stroke offers its own advantages. Freestyle is the fastest style, for example; whereas breaststroke offers better visibility. See the list below for more information on different strokes.
  4. Learning different strokes adds more variety to your swimming routine and makes swimming more fun!

4 Basic Strokes to Learn

  1. Freestyle.  As mentioned before, this is the fastest style, and one of the most common. In this style, the arms rotate with hard, above water stokes while the legs perform a flutter kick.
  2. Breaststroke.  Another of the most popular swim strokes. The odds are good that when you learned to swim, you either learned freestyle or breast stroke. In the breast stroke, both arms make circles underwater rather than moving above water; which makes the style slower, but also much calmer.
  3. Backstroke.  The name is pretty self-explanatory—this is a common stroke that involves swimming on one’s back. It is one of the most distinct style of swimming, and offers the advantage of working a different set of muscles from most other strokes.
  4. Sidestroke.  This stroke, which utilizes underwater motion of one arm as the swimmer lies on his/her side, is the preferred method of lifeguards as it leaves one arm free to assist other swimmers.

For more water safety tips, visit Beacon-Watch.com!

3 Tips for Learning How to Swim

If you’re an adult who has never learned how to swim, don’t worry–you’re not alone.  According to a recent article published in Time Magazine, only 56% of Americans were able to pass a basic swimming exam that tested 5 core competencies.  Thankfully, learning to swim is much easier than you may think–and it can even be a lot of fun.  There are so many reasons to learn–ranging from improved health, to boosted self-confidence, to the ability to develop a lifelong hobby.  As a part of our commitment to improving water safety for everyone, Beacon Watch would also like to point out safety as another very important reason to learn.  That’s why we’re presenting these 3 tips for learning how to swim.

#1: Get Used to the Water!

The most effective way to learn swimming is by feeling comfortable and having fun.  (In fact, I would venture to say that is the most effective way to learn just about anything!)  That’s why an important first step should be simply getting used to the water.  Get into the shallow end of the pool (where you can still easily stand) and enjoy wading around.  Eventually, you’ll want to practice submerging yourself up to your neck, holding your breath underwater, and lifting both feet off the ground at the same time.  This will go a long way towards helping you feel more relaxed throughout the process.

#2: Find a Swimming Buddy

Once you’re ready to start practicing, it’s a good idea to bring a friend along.  Not only is this an important safety measure, it will also make the whole process a lot more fun.  Last but not least, you will have an experienced partner who can help point out areas for improvement in your form.

#3: Never Give Up!

Swimming, like most other sports, is very rewarding–but does require a bit of hard work.  The most important advice anyone can give, therefore, is to stay committed! You’ll be glad you did!

 

For more information on water and ski safety, check out the Beacon Watch website today!

Top 4 Reasons why Everyone Should Learn to Swim

Did you know that the Red Cross recently released a study showing that millions of Americans don’t know how to swim? A recent survey showed that just 80% of Americans say that they can swim–and even more disturbingly, only 56% of self described swimmers were able to demonstrate an understanding of the basic swimming skills that can be used in emergency situations. In an effort to improve those numbers, we’re counting down the top 4 reasons why everyone should learn how to swim.

4. Stay Fit
There’s no doubt about it–swimming is one of the best exercises for the human body. Not only does it work virtually all muscles, it is also impressively easy on joints, tendons, and other “trouble” areas that are prone to stress-related injuries. Which brings us to number 3…

3. Swimming Will Stay With You Your Whole Life
Unlike other sports such as running, biking, or skiing, swimming is a low-contact, low-risk physical activity that allows participants to stay active even in advanced age.

2. Swim Competitively
In recent years, many Americans have become more open to new competitive sports–and that includes sports such as water polo, swimming, and other water-based games. That allows those who love the competitive nature of sports such as football, baseball, and hockey to enjoy lower-contact, lower-risk sports without missing out on the thrills of victory and defeat.

1. Swimming Could Save Your Life
Last but certainly not least, swimming is a valuable activity because it can help save lives–and that includes your own! The Red Cross study cited above also found that an average of 10 people die of drowning in the United States alone each and every day. Learning how to swim can help lower that number by reducing your chances of drowning and giving you the necessary skills to save others who fall into perilous situations.

Beacon Watch
Beacon Watch encourages safe water practices–and we make the products to help implement them. Check out our website for more helpful information, and to see the Beacon Watch online store.