Choosing a Safe Place to Swim Outdoors

The safest place to swim outdoors is a designated swimming area with lifeguards on duty, posted rules and clean water. Before anyone gets in, check the official water-quality status and the weather, talk to the lifeguard, and take your own look at the water.

This page helps you choose a spot, whether it's a city beach, a state park lake or a river park on vacation. It works for any outdoor water. For the rules once you're there, see lake swimming safety or rip currents at the ocean.

Why designated areas are safer

CDC's advice is simple: choose swimming sites that have lifeguards when possible (opens in a new tab). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) goes further, listing lifeguard standards and safe natural-water designations among the proven tools that reduce drowning deaths (opens in a new tab).

At the ocean, the difference is striking. The National Weather Service (NWS) advises: only swim at a beach with lifeguards (opens in a new tab).

1 in 18 million

Places with no lifeguard say so. One National Park Service river park puts it plainly: swim at your own risk; there are no lifeguards in the park (opens in a new tab).

Lifeguards, signs and posted rules

A lifeguarded beach works best when you follow its rules.

• Swim only during lifeguard hours. At NYC public beaches, lifeguards are on duty daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during beach season, and swimming is prohibited when lifeguards are not on duty and in closed sections (opens in a new tab). Closed sections are marked with signs or red flags.
• Read the water-quality signs. In NYC, a yellow sign means an advisory, where swimming and wading are not recommended (opens in a new tab), and a red sign means the beach is closed to swimming. More in algae blooms and water quality.
• Read the flags. NWS notes that warning flags aren't used in all areas and their meaning can vary from area to area (opens in a new tab), so read the signs at the entrance.
• Keep your own Water Watcher. CDC says adults should supervise children closely even when lifeguards are present (opens in a new tab). U.S. Masters Swimming adds that a lifeguard cannot be considered a buddy, because their duty is to protect everyone, not just you (opens in a new tab).

For more on how lifeguards help, see why swimming near a lifeguard matters.

Checking a new place

Even at a guarded beach, take five minutes before anyone gets in. NWS advises you to check water conditions before going in by looking at the local beach forecast before you leave and talking to the lifeguard at the beach (opens in a new tab). U.S. Masters Swimming suggests you survey the area before you enter (opens in a new tab), including boat traffic, water quality and whether any warning signs could be missing.

A quick check:

• Is there a designated swimming area, and where are its edges?
• Is a lifeguard on duty now, and until when?
• What do the signs and flags say today?
• Is the water open, under advisory or closed for water quality?
• What's the weather forecast for the rest of the day? CDC says to check the forecast before activities in, on or near water (opens in a new tab).
• Where can you get out of the water easily?
• Are there boats, docks, rocks or currents near the swim area?
• Where is the nearest phone signal, and what is the address for 911?

When you go in the first time, go feet first. The American Red Cross says to always enter unknown or shallow water feet first (opens in a new tab).

Finding guarded beaches and lakes near you

In New York City. NYC Parks maintains 14 miles of beaches, and all of them are free and open to the public (opens in a new tab) in season. It also runs free public outdoor pools (opens in a new tab) in every borough. Before you go to the beach, NYC Parks suggests you sign up for Notify NYC beach notifications or check the Health Department's water-quality information (opens in a new tab). Season dates change each year, so check the current dates on the NYC Parks site. For local beaches, see NYC beach safety.

Elsewhere. Your city, county or state parks website usually lists designated swim beaches and their lifeguard hours. If a park lists a beach but no lifeguard hours, call and ask.

On vacation. NWS suggests you ask your hotel or rental agency for local sources of weather and beach forecasts (opens in a new tab). Pool Safely, a federal campaign, reminds families that vacation rentals don't have lifeguards present (opens in a new tab), so for open-water swimming, plan to use the nearest guarded beach. See vacation water safety.

What you can do today

• Find the two or three outdoor places your family swims most, and look up whether each has a designated area and lifeguard hours.
• Save the official water-quality page for each one.
• If you live in NYC, sign up for Notify NYC beach notifications.
• Agree as a family: we swim only where it's allowed, and only when a lifeguard is on duty.
• Keep the quick check above in your phone for new places.