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Swim safety

Beach flag meanings differ by country. Pick where you are swimming and read what the lifeguard body's own page says, then follow the flags on the beach.

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Check the official warnings before you go. This is a summary of what each body's own page says, not safety advice, and it can be out of date.

Where are you swimming?

What the official pages say

  • Beach flags

    United Kingdom · RNLI

    • Red-and-yellow flags: lifeguard-patrolled swimming and body boarding zone. RNLI: the safest place to swim and bodyboard.
    • Black-and-white chequered flag: surfboard and other water craft zone. Never swim or bodyboard here.
    • Red flag: dangerous conditions, do not enter the water.
    • Orange windsock: danger, no inflatables on the water. It indicates offshore or strong wind.
    • A lifeguard-off-duty sign means there is currently no lifeguard service at that beach: take extra care.

    Open the official pagehttps://rnli.org/water-safety/beach-safety/flags-and-signs · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • Beach flags

    Australia · Surf Life Saving Australia (Beachsafe)

    • Red and yellow flags: swim between the flags. They show the supervised area and that a lifesaving service is operating.
    • If there are no red and yellow flags, check with the lifeguards, and if unsure don't go in the water.
    • Red flag: no swimming. Yellow flag: caution required, potential hazards.
    • Red and white flag: evacuate the water. Black and white flag: surfcraft riding area boundary.

    Flags are for patrol hours. The page does not list patrol hours for any beach; the Beachsafe site and app do.

    Open the official pagehttps://beachsafe.org.au/surf-safety/flags-and-signs · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • Swim between the flags

    New Zealand · Surf Life Saving New Zealand

    • Surf Life Saving New Zealand's key beach safety messages are to find the safest place to swim, which it says is always between the red and yellow flags, and to stay out if in doubt.

    This is a news release from January 2024, not a flag chart. We did not read a page listing every New Zealand flag.

    Open the official pagehttps://www.surflifesaving.org.nz/news/2024/january/slsnz-issues-reminder-for-public-to-swim-between-the-flags · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • Rip currents

    United States · National Weather Service

    • Check water conditions before going in: look at the local beach forecast before you leave and talk to the lifeguard at the beach.
    • Only swim at a beach with lifeguards.
    • Don't assume: great weather for the beach does not always mean it's safe to swim. Rip currents often form on calm, sunny days.
    • NOAA and the US Lifesaving Association call rip currents the #1 hazard at a surf beach, with over 100 drowning fatalities every year in the United States.

    The United States has no single national flag code. The page does not give one; check the beach's own signs.

    Open the official pagehttps://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent · Checked 2026-10-24 · official sourceAlso read: https://www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent-toolkit

  • Beach flags (Toronto, Lake Ontario)

    Canada · City of Toronto

    • Green flag: good conditions, little to no waves and off-shore wind.
    • Yellow flag: moderate conditions, strong waves and off-shore wind, light fog.
    • Red flag: high hazard conditions. All swimmers are discouraged from entering the water.
    • Red over yellow flag: designated swimming area, most closely supervised by lifeguards.
    • No flag: no lifeguards on duty. Swimming is not recommended.
    • Flag colours can change multiple times through the day: check the flag on the back of the lifeguard stand before entering the water.

    This is the City of Toronto's code. We did not read a national Canadian one; other cities may differ.

    Open the official pagehttps://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/parks-gardens-beaches/beaches/beach-safety/ · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

  • Beach flags (Bizkaia)

    Spain · Cruz Roja Española, País Vasco

    • Green flag = bathing free. Yellow flag = bathing with caution. Red flag = bathing prohibited.
    • Bathe only at beaches with a lifeguard service, in the designated safety zones and within supervision hours. The 2026 page gives supervision as 1 June to 30 September, 11:00 to 20:00.
    • If you feel dragged by a current: signal for help, stay calm and do not swim against it.

    This page covers the beaches of Bizkaia only. We did not read a national Spanish page.

    Open the official pagehttps://ccaa.cruzroja.es/pais-vasco/playas · Checked 2026-10-24 · official source

Not checked yet

  • Ireland · Water Safety Ireland

    We did not read a page on Irish beach flags, so we show no flag meanings for Ireland. This is the national water safety body's home page.

    Official page

Each card was read off the publisher's own page on 2026-10-24. Check the official warnings before you go. This is a summary of what each body's own page says, not safety advice, and it can be out of date.