SWIMMING IN THE SEA

On a hot summer day, there’s nothing like a refreshing dip in the sea.
    
To ensure unspoilt swimming pleasure, Sylt’s ‘Baywatch’ team keeps an eye on bathers’ wellbeing on many stretches of beach. Its members, all of them well-trained and experienced lifeguards, provide first aid for little and grown-up patients. Moreover, they know a lot about the North Sea’s peculiarities. Swimming near the remains of a groyne should be avoided, for example, because the high tide washes over its sharp edges and conceals the risk of injury; and even when the sea looks calm, there may be undercurrents not only dangerous for less practised swimmers. Quite a few of the lifeguards were born and bred on Sylt and have been familiar with the North Sea’s ways from childhood.

If you want to be on the safe side, watch out for signs marking especially dangerous spots. Red balls on the poles at the beach access points are a widely visible warning of choppy seas. One red ball indicates that bathing is allowed under supervision only, two balls spell “No bathing!” Ignoring this sign means putting your life at risk.