Water Safety for College Students and Young Adults

Young adults are most at risk around water when they're somewhere new: a spring break beach, a friend's lake house, a river on a graduation trip. You can stay much safer with four habits: swim where and when lifeguards are on duty, keep alcohol out of the water, name a sober friend to watch every swim, and learn about the local water before anyone goes in.

None of this means skipping the trip. It means planning it the way you'd plan the drive home.

New places, new water

CDC data show that young adults were hit hard when drowning rose during the pandemic years. In 2020, the largest increases in drowning death rates were among people aged 15 to 24 (up 31.3%) and 25 to 34 (up 21.1%) (opens in a new tab) compared with 2019. CDC also reports that almost half of fatal drownings among people 15 and older happen in natural water like lakes, rivers or oceans (opens in a new tab).

Natural water is a different sport from the pool:

• Surf beaches. The National Weather Service warns that swimming in a pool is NOT the same as swimming at a surf beach with crashing waves, winds and dangerous currents (opens in a new tab). NOAA says rip currents can move at up to 8 feet per second, faster than an Olympic swimmer (opens in a new tab), and the National Weather Service notes they often form on calm, sunny days (opens in a new tab).
• Lakes and rivers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reminds visitors that swimming in natural waters is different from swimming in a pool (opens in a new tab). At its lakes and rivers in 2024, 87% of the people who drowned were adults, 94% were male, and 91% were not wearing a life jacket.
• Cold water. Warm air doesn't mean warm water. The National Weather Service says the gasping and rapid breathing of cold shock can be triggered by water as warm as 77°F (opens in a new tab), and the National Center for Cold Water Safety advises treating any water below 70°F with caution (opens in a new tab).

Alcohol and night swimming

Up to 70%

CDC explains why: alcohol impairs balance, coordination and judgment, and it increases risk-taking behavior (opens in a new tab). CDC research found that 25% to 61% of people aged 15 to 34 report drinking alcohol around water (opens in a new tab). On boats, the U.S. Coast Guard lists alcohol as the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating incidents, the leading factor in 20% of deaths (opens in a new tab) where the cause was known (2024).

What that means in practice:

• Swim first, drink later. CDC says avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming, boating or other water activities (opens in a new tab).
• No "one last swim." The late-night dip after a party combines alcohol and darkness, and there may be no lifeguard at all. Make the rule simple: once the drinks start, the swimming is over.
• Other drugs count too. The Red Cross says don't use alcohol or drugs, including certain prescription medications, before or while swimming, diving or supervising swimmers (opens in a new tab).

Read why alcohol and swimming don't mix and, for boats, the risks of boating under the influence.

Group trips: name a sober watcher

The Red Cross advice for everyone is to never swim alone, and swim with lifeguards and/or water watchers present (opens in a new tab). The Water Watcher idea that families use for children works for a group of friends, too. Pool Safely describes a Water Watcher as someone whose only task is supervising the people in the water (opens in a new tab), with no reading, texting or phone games.

How to run it on a trip:

1. Pick the first watcher before anyone gets in. They stay sober and on dry land, phone in pocket.
2. Hand off on a schedule. The AAP suggests families pass a water watcher card to the next adult every 15-20 minutes (opens in a new tab). Do the same, so nobody watches while bored or tired.
3. Count heads when people go in and when they come out.
4. Know where you are. Drop a pin or note the beach entrance number so you can tell 911 exactly where to come. See calling 911 near water.
5. Reach or throw, don't go. If someone is in trouble, the watcher shouts for a lifeguard, calls 911 and throws something that floats. The National Weather Service warns that many people have died trying to rescue someone caught in a rip current (opens in a new tab).

Know the local water before you go

Ten minutes of research before a trip is worth it.

• Beaches. Look up the surf forecast and rip current risk, and find out where and when lifeguards work. The National Weather Service says warning flags aren't used in all areas and their meaning can vary (opens in a new tab), so read the signs at each beach. Learn the colors in beach warning flags and the escape steps in rip currents.
• Lakes, rivers and quarries. The Red Cross says to always enter unknown or shallow water feet first (opens in a new tab), and to dive only where it's clearly marked safe and at least 9 feet deep.
• Boats, kayaks and jet skis. The Red Cross says to always wear a life jacket while boating, regardless of swimming skill (opens in a new tab). If the rental doesn't offer one that fits, don't go out.
• Rental houses. Rentals have no lifeguards. CPSC's Pool Safely suggests checking before you book whether safety barriers like self-latching gates, pool door alarms and non-climbable four-sided fencing are installed (opens in a new tab).

Run the whole trip through our checker:

For trips with family or travel abroad, see vacation water safety.

A note for parents

Your influence doesn't end at move-in day. The AAP's advice on talking about alcohol is to not end the conversation when your child moves out or goes to college (opens in a new tab), and to keep the door open for them to come to you. Send them this page before spring break, and talk through the sober-watcher plan as you would a designated driver.

What you can do today

1. Look up your next destination's lifeguard hours and rip current forecast, or the lake's swimming area.
2. Post in the group chat: "Who's first Water Watcher?" Settle it before the trip.
3. Agree on one rule: no swimming after drinking.
4. Check the boat or kayak rental for life jackets that fit everyone.
5. Take a CPR class with a friend. Find one through where to learn CPR.

Still in high school? See water safety for teens.