Hi there!
The ocean is powerful!
You can’t always see what’s going on underwater from the shore.
There are many beaches that put up beach flags as a way to let you know what the conditions in the water are like.
The beach flags are different colors based on the ocean conditions.
This allows you to take additional precautions when swimming at the beach.
👆 Yellow flag at St Andrews State Park beach, one of the best beaches in Panama City Beach Florida.
To put it simply, you can think of beach flags like traffic lights:
- Green means go
- Yellow means use caution
- Red means stop
What are yellow flag conditions?
According to the beach signs, a yellow flag at the beach means that due to water conditions of moderate surf and/or currents, there is a medium hazard in the water.
Can you swim if there’s a yellow flag?
If you see a yellow flag at the beach, this means that you are allowed to go swimming, but use caution!
Here is what a yellow flag at the beach means according to Florida State Parks:
Yellow flag means swim with caution and stay close to shore.
👆 A yellow flag at the beach means that there is a medium hazard. You are allowed to go swimming, but there is moderate surf and/or currents so use caution. It is best to stay near the shore and not swim too far out.
👆 What the Emerald Coast of Florida wants you to know about beach flags before you go swimming in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island… and anywhere else!
What do yellow and purple flags mean at the beach?
It’s also possible that you may see not just a yellow flag on its own, but also yellow and purple flags together.
A purple beach flag means that there is a risk for dangerous marine life.
So if you see yellow and purple flags at the beach together, it means that there is a moderate risk of rip currents, and there is also a risk for encountering dangerous marine life.
Swimming is allowed if you see yellow and purple flags at the beach, but you may want to use extra caution!
Rip currents
Again, the ocean is powerful!
There is a moderate risk of rip currents when there is a yellow flag warning.
To be dramatic, you can DIE because of rip currents.
There is a story of tourists from Mississippi who were in the water at Panama City Beach in Florida when they were swept into the water by a rip current.
It is reported that they were only knee deep in the water when it happened. One of them died. Read the story.
In that tragic story, the risk for rip currents was high.
But rip currents can exist even when the beach flag warning shows a low risk or moderate risk.
So just because you see a yellow flag at the beach doesn’t mean that there can’t be rip currents.
So know before you go!
According to the National Ocean Service, rip currents account for 80% of beach rescues.
Before heading off to the beach, talk with your group about what to do if you find yourself in a rip current!
In short:
- Don’t fight the current.
- Swim parallel to shore.
Learn about rip currents from the National Ocean Service (NOAA).
👆 What the Emerald Coast of Florida wants you to know about rip currents before you go swimming! Screenshot the above and send to the people you’ll be going to the beach with! Or just send this whole article!
If the beach you are going to has a beach flag, take extra caution based on the color of the beach flag!
Even if the flag indicates generally “calm conditions,” it’s still the ocean, so take care!
And that’s a bit about a yellow beach flag!
More for your beach vacation:
- Do you know what a double red flag means?
- Best shelling beaches in Florida
- The perfect swimming shirt for your beach vacation
- Do you need water shoes?
- The cheapo way to take underwater pictures
- Why a personal swim buoy float is perfect for ocean swimming
- What to pack for a Florida beach vacation (or any beach!)
- What to pack for snorkeling in the Florida Keys (or any snorkeling spot!)
STAY SAFE AT THE BEACH IF THERE’S A YELLOW BEACH FLAG!
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