Vacation Water Safety: New Places, New Water

A safe trip near water starts before you leave home. Find out what water is at and around the place you'll stay, check everyone's swimming skills, pack properly fitted life jackets, and decide who will watch the water each time anyone swims. Trips are risky because the water is new to you: the CDC says lack of familiarity with local water currents and conditions, inability to swim and the absence of lifeguards (opens in a new tab) likely contribute to drowning deaths among travelers.

Use our Vacation water safety check to make a plan for your trip in a few minutes.

Why trips raise the risk

At home, you know which doors lock, where the pool fence is and how deep the local lake gets. On vacation, all of that changes at once.

• Natural water is different. The CDC says almost half of fatal drownings among people 15 and older happen in natural water such as lakes, rivers or oceans (opens in a new tab). For children 5 to 14, over 40% of drownings happen in natural water.
• Lakes and oceans hide hazards. The CDC lists currents, waves, rocks, vegetation and limited visibility (opens in a new tab).
• Lifeguards and fences may be missing. Rental homes don't have lifeguards, and the CDC warns that swimming pools and ponds might not have fences (opens in a new tab) to keep children safe.
• Routines slip. Many adults, a new place and a relaxed mood make it easy to assume someone else is watching.

Before you book

• Ask what water is on or near the property. Pool, hot tub, pond, lake, dock, river or beach? If there's a pool, read what to check before you book a rental with a pool.
• Find the nearest lifeguarded swimming spot. The National Weather Service says to swim only at a beach with lifeguards (opens in a new tab), and the CDC says to choose swimming sites with lifeguards when possible.
• Check everyone's skills honestly. The Red Cross describes five water competency skills (opens in a new tab): enter water over your head and return to the surface, float or tread water for a minute, turn around, swim 25 yards and get out. Pool skills don't fully carry over to open water.
• Plan life jackets. The CDC says children should use life jackets for all activities in and around natural water. For planned boating or water sports, it suggests travelers consider bringing their own life jackets (opens in a new tab), U.S. Coast Guard-approved or comparable and sized correctly.
• Take a CPR class. The CDC suggests travelers take CPR classes and learn safe rescue techniques before they go. See where to learn CPR.

When you arrive

Spend 10 minutes on these before anyone swims:

• Walk around the property and find every bit of water, including hot tubs, ponds, fountains and buckets.
• Check doors, gates and fences. Close and lock anything that leads to water.
• Find the rescue equipment, or decide what you would throw.
• Save the address, and a description of the beach or lake access, in your phone for a 911 call.
• Check the forecast. The CDC says to check the forecast before activities in, on, or near water (opens in a new tab).
• Agree on the family rules, and who is the Water Watcher for the first swim.

Name a Water Watcher, every time

The AAP suggests taking turns as the Water Watcher (opens in a new tab), handing a card to the next adult every 15 to 20 minutes. The CDC's travel guidance says an adult with swimming skills should be within arm's length of infants and toddlers in or around pools or other water, and that even with older children and better swimmers, the supervising adult should focus on the child and not do anything distracting.

Alcohol and supervision don't mix. The CDC says do not drink alcohol while supervising children (opens in a new tab), and avoid it before or during swimming and boating.

Lakes, beaches and pools you don't know

Lakes and rivers. The Red Cross advises entering unknown or shallow water feet first (opens in a new tab), and diving only where it is clearly marked safe and at least 9 feet deep. Watch for fast currents, dams, underwater obstacles and sudden drop-offs. At U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes and rivers in 2024, 91% of people who drowned were not wearing life jackets (opens in a new tab). Read why lakes are not pools before a lake trip.

Beaches. The National Weather Service says warning flags aren't used at every beach and their meaning can vary (opens in a new tab), so read the signs at the entrance. Surf beaches are not like pools: waves, wind and currents can use up your energy fast. Rip currents often form on calm, sunny days (opens in a new tab). Our beach safety checklist covers the rest.

Pools at hotels and rentals. Pool Safely reminds families that vacation rentals don't have lifeguards (opens in a new tab). Check the fence, gate and drain covers, and supervise without distractions.

Boats, tours and water sports

The CDC says many boating deaths result from inexperience or failure to wear a life jacket (opens in a new tab). Its advice for travelers:

• Children and weak swimmers should always wear a life jacket when boating, and there should be enough life jackets for everyone on board.
• Don't ride in boats run by obviously inexperienced, uncertified or intoxicated drivers.
• Avoid diving and swimming off the back of boats, where exhaust fumes usually come out.
• Diving into shallow water can cause head and spinal cord injuries.

Traveling abroad

The CDC says drowning is a leading cause of injury death (opens in a new tab) for U.S. citizens visiting countries where water recreation is a major activity. Rules, signs and lifeguard coverage can be very different from home.

• Don't swim alone or in unfamiliar waters.
• Expect fewer fences around pools and ponds, and stay within arm's reach of young children.
• Bring life jackets you trust if you plan to boat or paddle.
• Visiting family overseas? The World Health Organization says more than 90% of drowning deaths (opens in a new tab) occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries. Ask relatives about ponds, wells, tanks and rivers near the home before children go exploring.

Teens and young adults

Group trips, spring break and graduation travel bring their own risks: new friends, dares, jumping from heights and alcohol. Talk before the trip, not during it. Our guide to water safety for college students and young adults has a checklist they can actually use.

What you can do today

• Run your next trip through the Vacation water safety check.
• Ask your host, hotel or relatives what water is on or near the property.
• Check that each child's life jacket still fits, or plan to buy or borrow the right size.
• Print the checklists below and put them in your travel folder.
• Book a CPR class before your trip.