Film water safety on the River Wyre

Film water safety at Fleetwood

Water safety on the Wyre, at Fleetwood and on the Fylde coast

Fleetwood stands at the mouth of the River Wyre: a fishing port with two lighthouses and a long promenade facing Morecambe Bay, with Knott End across the water. South along the Fylde coast, Blackpool adds the Tower, three piers and miles of flat sand.

Safety cover for the Wyre and the Fylde coast

Safety boats with qualified crew cover scenes on the river, the beaches and the promenades, and the production receives a written safety plan and risk assessment to file before the shoot. On the day, everyone near the water hears the tide times and the way off the sand before the cameras roll.

What the Wyre asks of a shoot

Tide and current. The Wyre's channel is narrow, the tidal range is big and the ebb runs fast past Fleetwood. Banks of sand and mud uncover at low water, and the channels shift between tides.

Flat sands. On Blackpool's beaches the tide covers the flat sand quickly and can cut off anyone who has wandered out, so scenes on the sand are timed on a falling tide with a clear way back.

Who is in charge. The port of Fleetwood has its own harbour master, and the dock and the river traffic come first. On the beaches and piers, positions are agreed with the owners.

Drones. Fleetwood and the Wyre are clear of restricted airspace. Blackpool Airport's zone covers the south of the town, South Pier included, and reaches to within about 200 metres of Central Pier, so flights inside it need the airport's permission first.

Filming somewhere else? See all our film boat hire locations, or tell us where and we will find the right boat.

Questions