Kouga Municipality would again urge all beachgoers to prioritize safety and avoid becoming potential casualties of dangerous rip currents or other common hazards.
Rip currents are narrow channels of fast-moving water that flow away from the shore. They can reach speeds of nearly 3 meters per second. Rips are often formed in gaps between sandbars, reefs, or other underwater features where water from breaking waves flows back to the sea.
How To Spot Rip Currents
• Darker Water: Indicates deeper channels where waves do not break.
• Wave Gaps: Areas with fewer or no breaking waves may signal a rip.
• Choppy Water: Turbulent patches surrounded by calmer areas.
What To Do If Caught In A Rip Current
• Stay Calm: Conserve energy and float if needed.
• Swim Sideways: Escape the current by swimming parallel to the shore.
• Signal for Help: Raise your arm and call for assistance.
How To Assist Someone In Trouble
• Call for Help: Dial 112 from your cellphone (a free call) or
• Contact the Kouga Emergency Control Room at 081 367 8557 or
• Phone the NSRI Emergency Number on: 079 916 03 90 (Jeffreys Bay) 082 990 5969 (St Francis Bay) or 082 990 59 68 (Oyster Bay)
• Throw Something That Floats: Use a flotation device, such as an NSRI Pink Rescue Buoy or a surfboard, to assist the person in distress.
• Do Not Risk Your Own Safety: Enter the water only if you are a strong swimmer and equipped with flotation.
Beaches Patrolled By Lifeguards (daily from 08:00 AM to 17:00 PM)
1. Dolphin blue flag beach (main beach)
2. Kabeljous beach in front of the restaurant
3. Kabeljous lagoon
4. Pellsrus Beach
5. Aston Bay Beach (parking area)
6. Aston Bay Lagoon
7. Paradise Beach
8. St Francis main beach
9. Grannies pool
10. Cape St Francis blue flag beach
11. Oyster Bay beach
Public Safety Alert:
• Avoid Alcohol: Never drink alcohol before swimming. Alcohol impairs judgment, reduces your ability to cope in the water, and compromises your chances of survival if you encounter difficulties. Parents and caregivers should also refrain from drinking when supervising children near water.
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• Supervise Children Closely: Drowning is silent, and children can slip under the water without any noise or warning. Always keep children within arm’s reach when in or near the water.
• Exercise Caution in Easterly Winds: Blue bottles are often more prevalent in the water when the wind blows from the east. These creatures, while small, can deliver painful stings.
Kouga Municipality urges all beachgoers to swim only where lifeguards are on duty: Lifeguarded beaches offer the safest environment for swimming. Always swim between the flags set up by lifeguards as depicted in this image.
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