What do the beach flags mean?
Green — Low hazard. Calm conditions. Safe to swim.
Yellow — Medium hazard. Moderate surf or currents. Swim with caution.
Red — High hazard. Rough surf or strong currents. Experienced swimmers only.
Double Red — Water closed to the public. Do not enter.
Purple — Dangerous marine life (jellyfish, stingrays). May fly alongside other flags.
Flag colors are set by local beach patrol — not NOAA. The estimates above are based on offshore buoy readings and may not match posted flags exactly. Always obey posted flags.
Caught in a rip current?
- Stay calm. Rip currents are narrow — they won't pull you under, just out.
- Don't fight it. Swimming directly back to shore exhausts you quickly.
- Swim parallel to shore until you're out of the current, then angle back in.
- Float and signal for help if you're tired. Lifeguards can reach you.
Rip currents cause ~100 deaths per year in the US. Most are preventable. Swim near lifeguard stands.
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