16 Diseases To Watch Out For At the Beach

There are a couple things you can do to decrease your risk of getting sick from swimming in the ocean. Flooding from storms can cause sewage runoff that can pollute costal bodies of water; health officials recommend waiting at least 72 hours after a storm before going back into the water. Research from the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project found an increased risk of infection for people swimming within 400 yards of a flowing storm drain, so be aware of your surroundings and avoid swimming near storm drains.