see also:

• bushwalking in Australia
• beaches, waves and currents

• drowning is perhaps the most common outdoor activity lethality in Australia
• ensure your children are kept safe at all times - keep an eye on them and ensure they wear flotation devices if they cannot swim

• diving into water that is too shallow risks fracturing your spine and quadriplegia
• falling off cliffs is never a good idea
• slipping on wet rocks and hitting your head or breaking your leg as you fall into a river
• alcohol is a major factor in falls, injuries and drownings
• don't go swimming in crocodile infested waters or in waters prone to lethal stingers
• surfing in large waves increases the risk of being dumped headfirst onto the sand or rock bottom

• those over 50 yrs old are most at risk from drowning often as their fitness and swimming abilities have declined with age without them recognising it
• alcohol is a major contributor to being overly confident near water

• this is particular problem for 4WD drivers who are crossing rivers
  • it does not take much water depth to cause a vehicle to float downstream
  • strength of the current is related to both current speed and depth of the water
  • unseen underwater dangers are an added issue:
    • deep holes
    • boulders on which your vehicle may become stuck
    • mud that your vehicle tyres sink into
• many areas have strong currents even in seemingly calm lakes and these are often very cold adding to the risk - if there are warning signs - heed them!

• at beaches, one should be knowledgeable of the notorious rips, or swim between the flags
  • see beaches, waves and currents
• on rivers, potentially lethal recirculating turbulent currents can exist at the bottom of waterfalls or weirs in the right conditions
  • turbulent water full of air has very reduced buoyancy making it hard to stay afloat as you are not lighter than air!
  • this is compounded in a vertically recirculating current which continuously pushes you down to the bottom of the river
  • not even a kayak and wearing flotation devices will save you in these conditions
  • see Youtube demonstration of fatal currents on weirs / low head dams due to hydraulic jumps at overflow structures creating recirculating turbulent zone

• rock fishing and exploring large rocks where the waves pound has a special risk of unexpected very large, very infrequent rogue waves which are capable of washing you off the rocks into the turbulent sea
• these waves are not from tsunamis but rather just a mathematical summation of the many competing wavelets travelling in the ocean
• avoid such rocks where these waves may be a risk - especially with an incoming high tide

• if it is a patrolled beach raising your hand should signal for help if you cannot swim sideways to get out of it
• swim across the current (sideways) and you will eventually get out of the rip