Spring Break is all about fun, but a recent warning from the Orange Beach police serves as a reminder that it does have its risks -- and not just the possibility that you'll be jailed if your partying crosses a line with local authorities.
Here are a few safety tips.
Wear sunscreen. Yes, we're stating the obvious here. But the intensity of the sun on Gulf Coast beaches regularly surprises both innocent victims and people who should know better. If you hear a little voice in your head saying, "We're just gonna be out there for a little while, it'll be okay," strangle it.
Stay hydrated. At the risk of making this too complicated, there are two kinds of people who need to drink plenty of water at the beach: Those who aren't drinking alcohol, and those who are.
Keep the group together when going out on the town. It's easy to get separated in an environment where the alcohol is flowing, new friends are easy to meet and bad decisions are actively encouraged. But as www.tripsmarter.com succinctly puts it, "Just because it's Spring Break doesn't mean the predators take the month off." Consider having a code word, so friends can let each other know they feel threatened, or an app that'll let you keep track of each other.
Smartphones have a lot of potential to make Spring Break better, if you put some thought into it in advance. Some apps can help you save money, some can help with personal safety, some can track friends or family members. But something as simple as looking at your mapping app during a taxi or transportation service ride can help assure that you're being taken where you're supposed to be.
There's a potential dark side to technology, of course. In past years, Spring Break tips from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network have included advice to "think twice before sharing every detail of your spring break on social media." Ahead of a trip, RAINN recommends that you look over your privacy settings. Use your best judgment about checking in to specific locations and geo-tagging images. Think about how much personal information you reveal when using hashtags such as #springbreak or #SB2018.
When you search "spring break safety tips" you get a lot of advice for women on how not to be victimized. When you search "spring break tips for guys" you get advice on what to pack and how to score. A comprehensive safety guide for women, courtesy of the organization Girls Fight Back, can be found at www.safespringbreak.org. It covers all the obvious topics (alcohol, swimming, sex) as well as some others: travel, hotels, ATMs, foreign trips.
A couple of points on swimming: First off, respect the threat of rip currents. NOAA provides plenty of information and the National Weather Services office for the Mobile/Pensacola area includes rip current risk information in its beach forecast. Bottom line: Rip currents are real, and can threaten the safety of even strong swimmers.
Secondly, know what those flags mean. Alabama's beaches use a color-coded system. Green is flown in calm conditions. Yellow means moderate surf or currents. A single red flag means extreme caution is advised due to high surf and/or strong currents, and double red flags means the water is closed; swimmers may be subject to arrest or fines. Purple means there's reason to believe dangerous marine life is present. It's not necessarily sharks. It could be jellyfish or Portuguese Men-of-War. (Or "sea lice," aka baby jellyfish spawn, but they usually aren't a problem until later in the year.)
Traffic can be a Spring Break hazard, and no wonder: It can bring crowds of pedestrians together with drivers in areas that are new and unfamiliar to all of them. In 2014 an Oklahoma State University on spring break in Gulf Shores was fatally struck by a drunken driver, an adult in the area for a bachelor's party. He later was convicted of manslaughter.
Balconies are a recurring theme in spring break fatalities. Such sad cases sometimes appear accidental and sometimes appear to involve risky daredevil behavior -- but almost always involve alcohol.
Speaking of bad decisions, there are many ways approaching the consequences of risky sex. At www.tripsmarter.com, they summed it up it three words: "Condoms. Condoms. Condoms."
It's not a bad idea to get to know the law in the area you're visiting. Coastal destinations often have regulations about drinking on public beaches, for example, and in some cases (such as Gulf Shores) temporary bans may apply specifically to Spring Break. The rules also vary from private to city to state property, and the boundaries aren't always clear. Also, some coastal cities will confiscate any chairs, coolers, pavilions or other gear left out overnight. Local governments police departments often post such information online; if you can't find it, ask your hotel or rental agency.
Wild rides: Safety tips from the Centers for Disease Control note that spring break can involve potentially risky recreational activities, and encourage participants to use all appropriate safety gear before doing so -- whether that involves safety harnesses, life vests, helmets, knee pads or other protective equipment. Also cast a sober eye over the operator's safety equipment and practices. In 2014 the National Transportation Safety Board found that parasailing was "largely unregulated with serious accidents frequently caused by faulty equipment." After a decade-long fight, Florida passed safety regulations that year. (Individual cities may also regulate parasailing; both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have such ordinances, which should make for a safer experience.) When using rental equipment such as Jet Skis, safety also depends on the customer's behavior.
Give a little thought to travel contingencies such as the possibility of a breakdown. If you find yourself having the road trip from hell due to mechanical difficulties, you might be saved by good Samaritans -- but that's not a plan.
Foreign travel raises some other concerns. One common suggestion is to consider travel insurance that covers injury and emergency evacuation. Some student health policies don't apply outside the United States, and you don't' want to find out the hard way that yours is one of them. Other travel basics include making sure you've had the recommended vaccinations for your destination, and making a copy of your passport.
Parents may have a role to play, particularly when their beach-bound offspring aren't of age. Many of the same tips apply, and families may want to consider a tracking app. Underage drinking is also more of a concern. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says parents' ability to influence children's alcohol consumption is affected by many factors, but adolescents do listen "particularly if the messages are conveyed consistently and with authority."