WATER/MONSOONS, Goa

Five drowning deaths in 18 days. These bare figures stare
at the authorities in the face and is a grim reminder on the
safety of tourists along Goa coast.

Red flags signaling danger zones are erected on most
beaches but there appears to be no one in sight to enforce caution.

And the non availability of life guards in adequate numbers have only
made matters worse, with none of the authorities police, tourism
officials or tourist police around to guide the tourists.

Do not swim in the sea during monsoon / raining season. Strong undertows can pull you out into the sea. If in doubt, always ask the locals for advise.
Warnings may/maynot be visible along the beaches.

If you plan to do some surfing or other beach sports that require you to head out into the surf, beware of the undertow. Always be cautious and respect the ocean's power. If you get caught in a riptide (or an undertow), don't try to swim against it. Instead let the water take you out and then swim parallel to the shoreline until you are out of the rip. Then swim back to shore. On the beach, do not bring your valuables. Just bring a towel and a few bucks which you can stuff down your pants if you're not going in the water. The money will come in handy for buying juices or water or whatever else you need..

If you plan to do some surfing or other beach sports that require you to head out into the surf, beware of the undertow. Always be cautious and respect the ocean's power. If you get caught in a riptide (or an undertow), don't try to swim against it. Instead let the water take you out and then swim parallel to the shoreline until you are out of the rip. Then swim back to shore. On the beach, do not bring your valuables. Just bring a towel and a few bucks which you can stuff down your pants if you're not going in the water. The money will come in handy for buying juices or water or whatever else you need..

However beautiful and serene it may seem, Goa could be wicked during the period from June to September.

There's an old english saying, 'When it rains, it pours'. This would not apply more to any other place as much as Goa during the monsoons or the rain season. Most of the shacks are closed during this time and the tourists are scarcer.

Even the sea rages almost with a vengeance of it's own. You probably would want to give this region a miss during this time unless you're the type who would like to sit at a lonely table in a shack on a beach sipping your beer and watching the sea powerfully rip at the shoreline.

We were warned about the undercurrents at Candolim Beach, please take note of these warnings. The sea may look calm but dont be fooled. During my teens I swam for the County ( yes I can still recall this ) and considered myself to be still a strong swimmer. The undercurrents are very dangerous and the crashing waves are fearsome. The waves crashed over me and forced me back to the sea edge, giving me burnt knee caps ( I can also recall these from my younger days )

If you come in monsoon, be sure that you will have some rain sometime. I brought both a plastic anorak and an umbrella, but ended up using only the umbrella. The weather here is so humid that if you were a plastic raincoat, you will end up more wet by sweat than by rain.