Beach Safety Tips, Rules & Regulations |Corolla, NC

For a safe and trouble-free vacation, please know and obey the following rules and regulations:

• Fireworks and bonfires are illegal in all areas of Corolla.
• Whenever red flags are flying, it means SWIMMING IS NOT ALLOWED! Ocean conditions have been determined to be unsafe and swimmers are at serious risk of injury or death if they enter the water.
• It is strongly recommended that all kayakers wear life jackets.
• all surfers must be tethered to their boards.
• Please re-fill all holes before leaving the beach area. Open holes are a safety concern for emergency response vehicles.
• Before choosing your spot on the beach, check to be sure that you will not hinder the performance of lifeguards during an emergency situation. Maintain a clear path along the dune line for patrol units, and in front of the stationary lifeguard stands.
• All sand dunes are off limits! The dunes are home to nesting turtles, vegetation specific to our area, and they protect our homes from flooding during a storm surge.
• Please do NOT leave your trash on the beach! If you brought it, you need to take it away!
• All dogs MUST be kept on a leash while on the beach.

Quick Tips:

1. What do I do if I get stuck in a rip current? Stay calm! The biggest killer is panic, not the rip current itself! Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then swim in.
2. What do I do if I get stung by a jelly fish? A normal reaction to a jellyfish sting is red welts and sometimes some itching or stinging. Unless you are experiencing difficulty breathing or breaking out in hives all over your body, your reaction is typical and the best thing to do is apply heat, and/or ammonia to break down the proteins in the venom. Do not scrub the sting with sand, you will only agitate the stingers. If you do experience any difficulty breathing or any other adverse reaction, contact the lifeguard immediately.
3. What do I do if I see the red flags flying? Red flags on the beach means that ocean conditions are such that it is considered unsafe and the risk is too high for the average swimmer to be in the water. Red flags are posted for your safety; and if your personal safety is not a sufficient enough reason to obey these warnings, then remember that it's also against the law. *There is one exception to this rule: a surfer, who is attached by leash to a fiberglass surf board of at least 5 feet in length and has at lease one fin, may enter the water. (Most rental surf boards are not made of fiberglass and therefore do NOT meet this exception to the rule).