Daily beach report
North Coast Lifeguard co-ordinator Stephen Leahy’s daily beach report:
The clouds came in over the coast by mid afternoon and we also saw the wind strengthen. This resulted in the waves becoming choppy and the rips increased in strength – but it didn’t matter because the change saw the beaches becoming empty pretty quickly. Here’s what happened on lifeguard patrolled beaches in Ballina Shire today:
Lennox Head: Northerly winds down the length of Seven Mile Beach resulted in some choppy and blustery conditions at Lennox Head. The beach was empty from mid afternoon and only two preventative actions were undertaken during the day.
Shelly Beach, Ballina: The beach remained open all day but, like the remainder of the coast, it was pretty quiet in the afternoon. Everyone took our advice and headed to the beach early because Lifeguard Ruben was required to warn 18 swimmers about swimming in dangerous areas before lunch.
Tomorrow’s forecast: A few showers and thunderstorms, more likely during the afternoon and into the night. Moderate north to north-east winds, fresh about the coast.
Today’s Water Safety Tip: Waves of any size and force should not be fought against and should be negotiated by diving underneath, giving you time to reach the bottom and lie as flat as possible on the sand while the wave passes over. Your hands can be dug into the sand in front at arm’s length for stability and as a pull-forward when ready to surface.
