
TheFury:
We have two children, now 13 and 15, but we still don't swim much in the ocean. We go to the beach to hang out and enjoy the beach and shoreline (watch the dolphins, sunset, etc.; look for beach treasures; wade in the water near the shore; sometimes we stay very near the shore and swim a bit; make sand castles; read; nap) but when we want to really swim we go to the pool. I think about sharks (not too much) and moreso riptides. And the best advice is to not let the kids go in the water unless it's a green flag and even then keep your eye on them and not let them go too far. Frankly, I'd go in the water with them if they were in the water. I tend to be overly cautious in general. I notice, however, that the locals don't seem to get in trouble in the ocean -- it's usually the visitors who don't pay attention to the flags or common wisdom (e.g., use a life jacket when in a boat, wear sunscreen, etc.).
We take safety so much for granted in SoWal that we don't even think about it -- we just have a great time.