Below is a guide to sunning and swimming safely, including a legend to the various flags posted at Florida beaches and a directory to some local beaches and parking for them.
Swimming Safety
The Miami Beach Patrol offers these tips:
- Always swim in a guarded area. Stay within the swim area boundaries. Don’t swim where surfers are active.
- Pay attention to posted flags (see next section).
- Rip currents or riptides are strong currents that can carry even the most experienced swimmer out to sea. If you get caught in a rip current, don’t panic. Swim parallel to the shoreline (along the shore) until you’re out of the rip current’s influence. Then swim in toward shore.
Statewide Beach Warning Flags
The following information (via flags) is posted on all lifeguard towers. 
Safe Sunning Tips
South Florida’s sun is inviting, but it’s easy to get too much of a good thing. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the sun without getting a sunburn. These guidelines are based on a scale that assigns a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) to measure the degree to which a substance will block the ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn. It is important to use a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB.
- If you burn easily, use a sunscreen with a high SPF rating (at least 30). Even if you are tan, protection is still necessary. The SPF rating should vary according to your skin type.
- The sun is strongest between 10am and 3pm, but burning can occur even in the early morning or late afternoon, especially during the summer. Extra protection is needed for peak hours.
- Even on overcast days or in the shade, the sun’s rays still reach you. Protection is advised.
- The sun’s rays reflect off the water, increasing sun exposure. When swimming, choose a waterproof sunscreen that retains its SPF level even after 80 minutes in the water. Water resistant protection usually lasts about 40 minutes in the water. The more time you spend in the water, the more you should reapply sunblock.
- Children are more vulnerable to damage from the sun, so they need a waterproof sunscreen with a higher SPF.
- Stay hydrated while at the beach; saltwater leaches moisture from skin; drink plenty of water to replenish fluids even if you aren’t sweating or don’t feel hot.
Public Access to the Beaches
The following locations provide public access to the beaches. In other areas, there may be hotels, condominiums or businesses that may have restricted access to the beach. Please park in designated public parking areas only.
- South Pointe Park
- 1st Street
- 3rd Street
- Lummus Park (5th-15th Street)
- 21st Street
- 46th Street
- 53rd Street
- 64th Street
- 72nd Street
- North Beach Park (79th-87th)
City of Miami Beach Parking Garages
- 7th Street: Washington Ave. & Collins Ave.
- 12th Street: 1/2 block west of Washington
- 13th Street: 1/2 block east of Collins Ave. on 13th
- 16th Street: 16th Street and Collins Avenue
- 17th Street: 17th Street, between Pennsylvania and Meridian Avenues
- 42nd Street: 1 block north of 41st Street between Royal Palm Avenue and Sheridan
Guarded Beaches
These stations are supported by Lieutenant personnel in four-wheel drive vehicles. Additional support is provided by all-terrain cycles, a twenty-seven foot rescue vessel, and other smaller jet-driven watercraft. All personnel are in contact with each other by radio transmitters which have the capability of communicating with the City’s Police and Fire/Rescue departments.
The Ocean Rescue (305-673-7714)guards twenty-eight (28) locations.
They are located at:
- Jetty Beach
- South Point Park
- 1st Street
- 3rd Street
- 5th Street
- 6th Street
- 8th Street
- 10th Street
- 12th Street
- 13th Street
- 14th Street
- 15th Street
- Lincoln Road (16th Street)
- 17th Street
- 18th Street
- 21st Street
- 29th Street
- 35th Street
- 41st Street
- 46th Street
- 53rd Street
- 64th Street
- 72nd Street
- 74th Street
- 77th Street
- 79th Street
- 81st Street
- 83rd Street
- 85th Street.
