Simple Guide for Beach Flags

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Even though I have been to the beach too many times to count, I never knew until my latest beach trip what the beach flags actually mean. I don’t ever remember having a flag catch my eye until we went beach hopping in Destin, Florida. Below is the short but sweet version of the main flags used:

Green flag – Green means go. You should always use cautions while at the beach but this flag lets you know that the water is calm and the conditions are good for the public.

Yellow flag – Yellow means there is a medium hazard and you need to use caution while swimming. There may be strong currents or signs of potential high surf. You should swim near lifeguards when the yellow flag is out.

Purple flag – Marine life danger. This could be any type of dangerous sea animal that has been spotted in the area like sharks, stingrays or jellyfish. Steer clear and stay out of the water.

1 Red flag – This red flag means there is a high hazard to swimmers. There could be a very strong current and/or high surf. You can still swim with one red flag but you need to be very cautious because it is dangerous conditions.

(We encountered the red flag at one of the beaches we visited and it felt like the waves were beating my body to death. Now I look for the flag so I know what to expect when I get into the water.)

2 Red flags – Double red flags indicate that the conditions are extremely high hazard and there is absolutely no swimming allowed.

There are other flags used too but I wanted to give you the simple version. If you are traveling to the beach, I suggest you check in with a lifeguard to make sure you know exactly what flags they use and what they mean just in case they are different from above. Have fun and stay safe at the beach!

If you have any comments or stories to share, please put them in the comment box because I would love to hear from you!