Are Lebanese beaches supervised by lifeguards?

Some private resorts employ lifeguards. We have found no published national scheme guaranteeing lifeguard coverage on public shore, and our directory marks lifeguard coverage only where a reviewer confirmed it with a source.

What should I do after a near miss with a boat?

Get out of the water, note the time, place, direction and any markings, and report it. Near misses matter: they are the evidence that a stretch of coast needs a marked corridor before someone is hurt.

Guide

Swimmer safety

Most of Lebanon's public shore has no lifeguard, no marked swimming limit and no barrier between you and passing craft. These are the habits that reduce the risk you can control.

Be visible to craft

A head in the water is almost invisible from a planing craft. Swim parallel to the shore rather than straight out, stay inside any marked area, use a bright cap or a tow float on open shore, and avoid the line between a launch ramp or marina exit and the open sea.

Currents and rocky shores

If you are pulled away from shore, do not swim against the pull. Swim across it, parallel to the beach, until it releases you, then come in at an angle. On rocky shore, plan your exit before you get in: an entry that is easy in calm water can be impossible in swell.

Numbers to have on your phone

Civil Defence 125. Lebanese Red Cross 140. Internal Security Forces 112. Save them before you go, and know the name of the beach or the nearest landmark — the first question you will be asked is where you are.

Sources

Safe speed and lookout — COLREGs Rules 5 and 6

The international collision regulations require a proper lookout at all times and a safe speed for the visibility, traffic and proximity of navigational hazards — which includes people in the water.

IMO — Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG)

Comparative practice — 300 m shore band at 5 knots (France)

French coastal rules cap all craft at 5 knots inside the 300 m shore band. The campaign uses the same figure as a reference point for Lebanon; it is comparative practice, not Lebanese law.

Légifrance — Code des transports, navigation dans la bande littorale des 300 mètres

Questions

Are Lebanese beaches supervised by lifeguards?: Some private resorts employ lifeguards. We have found no published national scheme guaranteeing lifeguard coverage on public shore, and our directory marks lifeguard coverage only where a reviewer confirmed it with a source.
What should I do after a near miss with a boat?: Get out of the water, note the time, place, direction and any markings, and report it. Near misses matter: they are the evidence that a stretch of coast needs a marked corridor before someone is hurt.

Local town guides

Beirut (Raouché / Pigeon Rocks)Jounieh Batroun Jbeil (Byblos)Tripoli Tyre (Sour)Saida (Sidon)Damour

See every coastal town · Rules and sources · Report an incident