Do you use portals? once you find a swamp, keep traveling until you find a meadow area or a dark forest area (DF is still dangerous to beach though) that is still connected to the swamp island and place a portal down and travel from there. trying to beach at a swamp is a death trap. portal the ♥♥♥♥ out of it lol
You have the crypt key yeah? :D :)

Once you establish your self on a meadow beach the safest bet is to build a portal on top of one of the swamp crypts making sure you can get up but the enemy cannot.