INTRODUCTION: Deaths from drowning at sea and recreational diving annually cause irreparable damage with the start of summer trips to the coasts of Gilan. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the coastal care education-based program. METHODS: In this descriptive-analytical study, data were collected with a 45-item researcher-made questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale. The reliability and the validity of the questionnaire was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha (0.7) and by 12 specialists. The statistical population (N=450) includes supervisory agents, rescuers, lifeguards, coastal guards, field training instructors, relief workers, and young members of the Red Crescent Society of Gilan province. Finally, 207 people selected and studied using Morgan table. Data analyzed using SPSS-27 software. FINDINGS: According to the findings, the age group of 30 to 44 years has the highest frequency with 89 people (43.0%), a total of 123 respondents (59.4%) were male and associate and bachelor's degrees each have the highest frequency with 59 people (28.5%). The 45-items questionnaire were categorized into six sections including demographics (5 items), self-help skills (8 items), knowledge of coastal information (8 items), knowledge of coastal hazards (8 items), skills in using buoyancy equipment (8 items), and coastal experiences (8 items). About 12 questions with the highest mean responses were identified as effective factors of the education-based program. The correlation between the selection of safe places for swimming by tourists was estimated to be significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that the successful implementation of the sea sanitation plan with the approach of preventing drowning incidents and selecting safe swimming locations depends on the development of a coastal care education program, including face-to-face education, and then on ensuring the health of the coastal strip.
