Know your Blue IQ? NOAA launches new beach safety campaign

Know your Blue IQ? NOAA launches new beach safety campaign






Video series aims to prevent injuries and deaths ahead of busy July 4th weekend






June 25, 2025






























Get smarter this beach season: Check out NOAA’s new ocean safety video series, "Blue IQ," (Image credit: Storyblocks)





























NOAA is launching a new video series Know Your Blue IQ, in partnership with the Ocean Positive Foundation offsite link and Smithsonian Institution offsite link, aimed at boosting safety ahead of the peak of this summer’s beach season. 

The video producers aim to raise the “Blue IQ” of beachgoers by educating them about some of the most common threats in coastal waters. From 2014-2024, there were 878 fatalities connected to beach hazards such as rip currents and high surf. Most victims of beach or surf zone hazards are male, and between the ages of 10-29, with the majority of U.S. fatalities occurring during the months of June and July. The videos address the disconnect between ocean conditions and what people think they know about beach safety and their swimming strength. 

“Beaches are special places where families make memories each summer season across the country,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, director of NOAA’s National Ocean Service. “But data shows that people often overestimate their ability to swim in ocean waves so education and preparation are key elements of beach safety.”
















Transcript












Transcript









Text Transcript

Blue IQ

Episode 1: Not Sure? Stay on Shore!

TRANSCRIPT

 

Bruckner Chase (Host)

Where water, weather, and waves meet, be the smartest person on the beach. 

You know how to navigate and stay safe in the familiar world around you. What about the ocean and beaches you love to visit but don't see every day? Are you ocean smart?

 

Student Basketball Player

I know basketball. 

 

Student Volleyball Player

I know volleyball. 

 

Student Soccer Player

I know soccer. 

 

Student Football Players

We know football. 

 

Student Swimmers

We know swimming.

 

Student Athlete (voice in head)

We don't know the ocean.

 

Bruckner Chase

Knowing that you don't know can make you the smartest and safest person on any beach. 

When you arrive, watch and study the waves, water, and everything on the beach from a safe, dry place. Notice where breaking waves wash up the beach and water flows back to the ocean. That dynamic area is the “swash zone.” It can hide submerged dangers, swirling currents, unswimmable conditions, and even the start of rip currents.

Read the swash zone like a basketball player reads the defense. Plan how to move forward and how to get out of trouble. Be the smartest person on any beach and find the safe path to score a great beach day.

Got a minute? Watch another Blue IQ video to learn more and stay safe at the shore.













VIDEO: Discover why knowing what you don’t know can make you the smartest — and safest — person on the shore.




The videos build on previous NOAA campaigns to communicate with a new generation of swimmers about beach hazards. The National Weather Service officially categorizes surf zone fatalities caused by three types of hazards. Rip currents are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from shore that can occur at any beach with breaking waves, including the Great Lakes. Sneaker waves are large waves that suddenly swamp the beach and sweep people into the water. High surf can also be dangerous and even deadly. 

“Before visiting the beach, check all weather information, including wave and surf zone forecasts,” said Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “Know before you go! It’s key to staying safe and ensuring a fun experience at the coast.”

“Beaches are fun, but there can be hidden dangers, even on sunny, storm-free days. The safest beach day begins with preparation,” said Bruckner Chase, CEO of Ocean Positive Foundation. “Coastal visitors may travel to the beach only once or twice a year, making them unfamiliar with local wave dynamics and currents.”

Many beach visitors underestimate how hard it can be to swim in waves, as compared to their pool swimming strength, for example. This is particularly a problem for young adults, who may be more likely to overestimate their ocean swimming fitness.

Visit the National Weather Service Surf Zone Forecasts for the latest forecast information for coastal locations and the National Weather Service Beach Forecasts, for forecast information on rip currents, waves, weather, water temperature and links to local radar, and the ultraviolet index as well as beach preparedness and safety information.

About NOAA’s National Ocean Service

The National Ocean Service plays a vital role in beach safety and provides resources aimed at keeping beachgoers safe all year long, including information on the latest tides and currents, harmful algal blooms and dangerous marine debris in coastal waters.















 

Media contact

Alison Gillespie, alison.gillespie@noaa.gov, (202) 713-6644













Ocean & Coasts







beach safety
ocean facts







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