Water Safety Tips You Shouldn't Ignore

By Diana Gerstacker/July 17, 2015 2:20 pm EST

Summertime is marked by carefree days at the beach, swimming in the pool and boating excursions. When peak temperatures hit, there's no better way to cool off. [slideshow:62591]

While most people enjoy the water without incident, there are risks involved, especially when you least expect it and fail to prepare. Everyone likes to think that an accident couldn't happen to them, but in reality it can happen to anyone. Even skilled swimmers have drowned, but there are things you can do to lower the risk.

From the basics, like learning to swim, to learning more advanced skills, like how to administer CPR, there are ways to prepare for potential accidents and hopefully, with these tips, you can avoid them altogether.

We looked to experts and organizations to highlight some of the most important water safety tips. It doesn't end here, you should certainly look for more information and resources, but these are 10 water safety tips you shouldn't ignore.

Teach Children to Swim Early

Learning to swim and teaching kids to swim early on is one of the best ways to ensure water safety. Introducing water and swimming early on (through age-appropriate swim classes), will help children become comfortable in the water and can help in the event of an accident. Swim lessons or skills are not a substitute for supervision, though.

Actively Supervise Kids When Around Water

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, "Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children between 1 and 4 years old and it's the third leading cause of injury-related death among children 19 and under." Even adults with the best intentions can occasionally be distracted, the key is to give children 100 percent of your attention when they're around water, don't leave supervision to a lifeguard and if you need to walk away, take the child (or children) with you.

8 other Water Safety Tips You Shouldn't Ignore