Whether it‘s a staycation or you manage to get away on that well awaited holiday, water safety should always be at the forefront of your mind whenever you go swimming. Here are some top tips to help you stay safe around water this summer.
Lifeguarded Pools and Beaches
It’s good to check if the pool or beach you want to visit is lifeguarded. While lifeguards won’t make swimming completely risk free, they do provide an extra pair of well-trained eyes. To check with your pool, either check the website for lifeguarded pool times, alternatively just give them a call and they will be happy to help!
If you’re heading to the beach, check with the RNLI lifeguarded beach search. With roughly 100 lifeguarded beaches across the UK, you’ll find the perfect one for you.
The Flag Game
For beach safety knowing the flags is key. Learning these doesn’t need to be boring it can be made into fun with the kids. Why not get the kids to colour in the flags. Or match the flag with what it refers to? You can put this knowledge into practice at the beach and play ‘Spot the flag’. Get the kids to look out for the flags and identify what they mean.
The flags can be crucial to beach safety. You are looking for the areas in between the red and yellow flags for a safe swim. If you’re not sure what each flag means, check with the lifeguards or check the on the RNLI website.
Appropriate inflatables/swimming supports to help you swim safely
If your child is still learning to swim, take along their perfect swimming aids to the pool or beach. These could include Zoggs Float Bands, a Swimsure™ Jacket or the Zoggs Water Wings Vest. If you have forgotten your swimming aids, don’t worry! Check out your local Everyone Active swimming pool for a fantastic range of Zoggs swimming aids!
The important thing to remember about a child’s swimming aid is, it is NOT a lifesaving device, it’s a product to support your child in their swim development. These products should always be used under supervision and in some cases a parent/carer should be within arm’s length of the child.
When visiting the beach inflatables should only be if they are necessary to the swimming ability, and even then should be used with constant adult supervision. Avoid taking big inflatables eg. flamingos and boats. These inflatables pose a huge risk of getting carried out to sea. Save those favourite inflatables for your next fun pool session.
Practice Key Skills – Floating
If your child is able to swim, when you next head for a swim why not practice floating? This is the best skill you can learn to keep yourself safe if you get in trouble in the water. Floating allows you to keep your airway clear while the body can counteract the impact of cold water shock. So, how do you float?
- Relax and lie with head back in the water with ears submerged
- Take deep breaths to help with buoyancy,
- Lift their feet, while extending arms to the side.
- To stay their try and keep a star shape or shape comfortable to them.
- Sculling can also help support them to stay afloat.
It doesn’t have to be boring practicing this skill. Why not set a challenge on who can float the longest between you and the kids! It is a great way of practicing such a water safety skill.
Practice, Practice, Practice
- Developing and practicing breathing techniques – using the Zoggy Seal Flips and Zoggy Soakers can be a great way of developing breathing techniques from an early age.
- Building Underwater swim skills – using Zoggy Dive Sticks and Zoggy Dive Rings can really help developing their skills in breathing and swimming underwater. This can only help their swimming confidence and reduce the sense of panic.
- Confidence is key – wherever you are the more confident you are in your swimming abilities and skills it can help when it comes to reducing panic and stress. Using regular swim sessions whether it is lessons, training of family swim session consistently can only support and help build swim confidence, which will help you swim more safely. Just keep swimming
So this summer enjoy your swimming safely. Whether it is at your local Everyone Active leisure centre, your local beach or on holiday, swimming is a time to enjoy on your own or with the whole family!