Summer safety alert: Swimming in a pool vs. the ocean

With the official start of summer this week, some coastal safety experts are spreading the word that knowing how to swim in a pool and knowing how to swim in open water, two very different things. Ginger is at Rockaway Beach in New York with an eye opening demonstration. We have been looking forward to this ginger. Thank you. Good morning. Yes, Robin. I'm so glad to be doing this because I grew up in the Great Lakes. I know the power of the ocean and the lakes is very different than a pool. But that's the problem, I guess, is that many people are saying, Hey, I'm fit. I can swim in a pool. Then they come here and they get in that water and things change rapidly and trouble begins. So experts at Noah are telling us that we have to pay attention to this. And most importantly, instead of just tell you, we wanted to show you from rip currents to sneaker waves. It's only June and already more than 30 ocean related deaths and nearly 20,000 rescues. But experts say one unspoken danger for swimmers not realizing that swimming in the ocean or the Great Lakes isn't the same as simply swimming in a pool. A lot of the people we see getting in trouble in the ocean, underestimated conditions and maybe overestimated their ability. Either they're a really good pool swimmer or really strong athlete, and they think that that's going to be enough to help visualize that issue. We recruited these three college football players and two elite dancers from Temple University and set up two challenges. First, swim four lengths of a pool 100 m without touching the bottom. Then do the same 100 m in an ocean, 50 out and 50 back. Up first, football player Colin clearly fit, and he grew up in California, spending time in the ocean. He finishes, but it was harder than he thought. I'm exhausted. I'm out of shape. Swimming shape is different than running shape for sure. Teammate Eric starts off strong, but before he gets to the end, he needs a break. Harder than you thought? Way harder than I thought. All the others ran out of gas and couldn't finish. Oh, my God. Next, my turn. I swim as part of my fitness routine, so I was able to finish the 100 m without much of an issue. The ocean will be different. I know that way different. A two ft wave carries about £500 of water pressure where it hits you on the chest. If that wind strong enough to, like, pick up a towel and move it, that means it's gonna play havoc on you near the shore. It's not the rip currents. It's everything else going on out there. The task now swim the same 100 m out to that orange buoy and back with a jet ski and lifeguards from the Beach Patrol in Ocean City, New Jersey said Colin heads in first and completes it. But it's a sobering experience at one point, even turning on his back to catch his breath. Something experts say can make all the difference. Need a little break. A lot different than the pool wave would hit you, and it seems like you kind of cut off your breath. Laying on my back out there, just relaxing. That really helped me out. Next, my turn. I make it to the buoy and head back in, but I'm really feeling it the way back to her direct help. I did not accept that. This was completely different than the pool. My muscles are burning. My heart is beating out of myself. Football player Eric struggles to get back to shore. Exhausted. He taps out and the lifeguards swarm in. Not surprisingly, everyone else who had trouble in the pool had even more trouble out here and needed assistance getting back to shore, including dancer Isabella, who now has a new respect for the ocean. I think I'm a pretty good swimmer right now. Like, I don't know. This is what we wanted everyone to see that as fit as you may be on land, the ocean and the water is a different environment. You saw how hard that was, and we were just trying to save ourselves. Many of the deaths the last couple of years have come from heroes trying to get in there. And hey, I've got to say the same. If I saw someone struggling, the adrenaline would take over. The Noah experts are telling us that when that happens, because it may take 10, take 10 seconds, take a beat. Let somebody know. Hey, I'm gonna go help that person struggling in the water. Call 911 and bring something that floats when you get out there. Remember, just get to them. Get them call. You don't. You don't have to get them all the way back in signal for others to help you guys. All good tips. And that roll on your back and kind of rest and take a breath is the best way to just take a break. Best thing. Ginger. Thank you. That was important lesson we learned right there.