- anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction that causes difficulty breathing, swelling, a rapid drop in blood pressure and sometimes loss of consciousness. It requires immediate emergency treatment. Jellyfish sting treatment: 5 steps to take at the beach
- circum-rescue collapse
- A sudden drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness that can occur when a cold person is moved from horizontal to vertical position after rescue. It results from rapid shifts in blood flow. Cold water shock: 4 stages of the body's response
- cold shock response
- The body's involuntary reaction to sudden immersion in cold water, including a gasp reflex, rapid breathing and increased heart rate. It occurs within seconds, before the person feels cold. Cold water shock: 4 stages of the body's response
- longshore current
- A current running parallel to the shore, caused by waves hitting the beach at an angle. It carries swimmers and debris sideways along the coast rather than away from it. How to spot a rip current: 5 visual clues from the shore
- nematocysts
- Tiny barbed capsules on jellyfish tentacles that fire on contact and inject venom into skin. They can remain active even after the jellyfish has died. Jellyfish sting treatment: 5 steps to take at the beach
- rip current
- A narrow channel of water flowing away from the shore, created when waves push water up the beach and it flows back out through a gap in a sandbar or the seabed. Rip currents are stronger after storms and at high tide. Beach Safety and Lifeguarding
- shorebreak
- Shorebreak is the small, surging wave that breaks right at the water's edge. It can knock a child off their feet in water that otherwise looks shallow and calm. Keeping children safe at the beach: six habits worth building
- undertow
- The backward pull of water after a wave breaks and rushes up the beach. It acts close to the seabed in the swash zone and tugs at your legs but does not pull you out to sea like a rip current. How to spot a rip current: 5 visual clues from the shore
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