The Irish Kitesurfing.ie blog has some useful and practical water safety tips for kitesurfers following on from our recent rescue of a Kitesurfer at the South beach, Rush. Click here to access these posts.

Note: kitesurfing.ie is not affiliated with the Irish Coast Guard. The views expressed on the above link are entirely those of the kitesurfing.ie blog community and not those of the Irish Coast Guard nor Skerries Coast Guard.

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This evening, the Skerries Beavers paid a visit to the Skerries Coast Guard station. The aim of the visit was for the Beavers to understand the role of the Coast Guard volunteers and to see first hand the rescue equipment they use. The Skerries Coast Guard volunteers also gave the Beavers lots of practical water safety tips. The Beavers were shown how to wear a buoyancy aid correctly. The Beavers also got to ask the volunteers lots of questions about their recent rescues around the Skerries area.

Each summer, the Skerries Coast Guard team hosts these water safety visits on a regular basis from local scout groups, for children from 5 years to 17 years. The overriding aim is to educate the children and young adults with vital and practical water safety advice in a way that is enjoyable and interactive. In terms of water safety, our belief is prevention is better that cure.

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During this highly interactive talk, the students learned about the importance of lifejackets when on or near the water. A practical demo on the proper way to wear lifejackets was also included.

The students also learned about the role of the Irish Coast Guard in marine search and rescue, including a tour of the Skerries unit’s rescue Jeep and equipment.

Over the course of the next two months, the volunteers will visit local primary schools throughout the unit’s search and rescue zone.

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The Search took place near the Martello Tower at Red Island, Skerries and was a great success. The scouts then received a water safety briefing and equipment demo back at the Coast Guard station.

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This evening, the members of Skerries Sea Cubs – Lambay unit visited the Skerries Coast Guard station for a water safety talk. This was a highly interactive and enjoyable water safety lesson for the budding Coast Guard volunteers of the future. The cubs got first hand experience of how to stay safe in the water, including a practical demonstation of why lifejackets are so important and the right way to wear them.

The cubs were also shown all the rescue gear that the Coast Guard use, including the two emergency Jeeps complete with blue lights and sirens. A line throwing competiton was also held, where the cubs used the familar red & yellow ringbuoys to rescue a “casualty”. The cubs learned how these ringbuoys have saved many lives around Skerries in the past and why it is so important that they are not vandalised. Our thanks to John Crothers of Fingal County Council for providing us with the loan of these ringbuoys.

This was the first of many water safety talks the Skerries Coast Guard volunteers will be providing over the coming months to the local schools and youth groups.

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