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Summer is a popular time for leisure activities at sea. For many people, enjoying a cool dip in the sea on a hot day makes for wonderful summer memories.
However, fun at the beach is not without its dangers.
According to the "Summary of Water Accidents in Summer 2021" published by Japan's National Police Agency, approximately 52% of all water accidents occurred in the ocean.
It's important to know the countermeasures and precautions to take in order to avoid accidents.
The rising popularity of large floats featuring animals or characters, among other things, prompted the Japan Coast Guard to make some new, potentially life-saving PSA videos.
As it turns out, although such large floats are popular with kids of all ages, they are more dangerous to use than conventional tube floats.
In the video, you'll see that it's easier to get swept away when you're riding a large float with a significant portion elevated above the surface level than a tube float which has a much flatter profile. The elevated portion essentially acts like a sail catching the wind and pushing the float forward.
In the video, the wind speed was 3-4 m/s. If the wind were even stronger, the float would be swept away even farther.
Especially when kids are engrossed in playing, they may not notice that they're being swept away, so it's important to pay attention to the weather conditions.
Mini-boats can also be dangerous if not used correctly.
If you're alone in a mini-boat and you fall overboard, it's difficult to get back into the boat on your own.
If you're engrossed in fishing, for example, you may not consider how your weight can cause the boat to lose its balance, so be careful not to fall overboard.
Whatever leisure activity you enjoy at sea, safety should always come first.
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- External Link
- https://grapee.jp/en/
10 Comments
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GuruMick
Lots of great beaches in Japan actually.
I dont go when the "life guards " are in season though....boy do they have a power trip
Jacobo
I have been to very many beautiful beaches and islands all over Japan from Hokkaido to Okinawa.
commanteer
There are so many stunning beaches in Japan, quite often with hardly any people on them. One of Japan's best kept secrets - so maybe I should be grateful about people spreading misinformation above. Keeps the crowds away.
Sven Asai
@commanteer Agreed, there are plenty of beautiful world class beaches. Let’s just let them complain , they shouldn’t even know what they miss out.
commanteer
Rules? You haven't been to many beaches. You can avoid sand by using public swimming pools... but the rules there are pretty much guaranteed to kill any pleasure.
Jonathan Prin
True, I can only remember nice beaches.
If one cannot swim, should not be going into where you don´t reach the bottom.
TrevorPeace
Gotta love that photo of the mini-boat debacle. No one in his right mind stands up in one of those. Yet, I've seen it, in person, and half-wished the fool would fall overboard.
painkiller
The rising popularity of large floats featuring animals or characters,
These things have been used for years. They're just figuring it out?
factchecker
Who'd go to a beach in Japan? Awful sand and too many stupid rules. The beach is supposed to about having fun.