General Discussions

It’s one thing to talk about change — it’s another to embed it in how we teach, plan, and deliver water safety. Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored the shift in Water Skills for Life: why it’s needed, how we bring real-world challenges into the pool, and the collective power of working together.

Why We’re Shifting Water Safety Teaching into Real-World Scenarios- Esther Hone In Aotearoa, our tamariki grow up surrounded by water — rivers, lakes, beaches, streams, and now increasingly, floodwaters. But here’s the problem: we’ve been teaching water safety in ways that don’t always reflect the

In Aotearoa, we are united by a common goal — to reduce drowning rates and protect our tamariki. But if we are serious about being part of the solution, then we must be honest about what’s not working and courageous enough to change how we teach water safety. The reality is, most drownings don’t ha

💪 Save Your Energy, Save Yourself! In open water, staying calm and conserving energy can make the difference between survival and exhaustion. Use survival strokes to stay afloat and conserve energy—keeping your arms and legs underwater reduces fatigue. Signal for help when you're in a calm, stabl

Kia Ora whānau,   We’ve noticed that attendance at our online video sessions has been low this month, and we’d love your feedback. Is the timing not working for you? Would a pre-recorded session be more helpful, or should we discontinue offering live online sessions?   Our goal at Water Safety New Z

Age-Appropriate Open Water Training for Maximum Impact Teaching open water survival skills to children of different ages requires a careful balance between challenge and safety. Understanding their physical and cognitive abilities allows us to introduce skills that are both effective and development

🛟 Are You Prioritising Basic Aquatic Survival Skills? 🌊 Teaching the right skills at the right age is key to building confidence and survival ability in water. Are your lessons tailored to the age and ability of your students? 💡 Reflect: How can you adjust your teaching to ensure greater impact

The Role of Storytelling in Water Safety Education: Teaching Treading Water for Survival Why Storytelling Enhances Water Safety Education Stories connect with us on a human level, making lessons more memorable and impactful. Instead of just demonstrating a skill, weaving real-life scenarios into le

Why Energy Conservation is Key to Survival in Open Water Emergencies When faced with an open water emergency, your ability to conserve energy can mean the difference between survival and tragedy. Drowning often occurs because exhaustion sets in, especially when panic drives people to overexert thems

Sculling is a vital skill for staying steady in moving water, conserving energy, and navigating different environments. It's the base for all strokes and water movement, helping to boost survival time and confidence. 💡 Key Tip: Teach both head-first and feet-first sculling and encourage regular pr

Building Confidence with Realistic Rescue Skills When students learn rescue techniques such as reach-and-throw rescues, they gain not only the tools to help others but also the confidence to act safely and effectively in emergencies. However, practising these skills in realistic conditions is essent

Encourage your students to experience the challenge of floating while fully clothed. Wet clothing adds weight and restricts movement, making it harder to stay afloat and conserve energy. 🔑 Key Focus Areas for Your Next Lesson: • Teach students to stay calm and control their breathing • Practise

The Hidden Challenges of Floating While Clothed Floating is a fundamental survival skill, but when you're fully clothed, it becomes much more challenging. Wet clothing absorbs water, adding weight and restricting movement, which increases the effort needed to stay afloat. Without proper preparation,

Hey, join me at "Water Skills" on the Spaces by Wix app to easily stay updated and more on the go. Join with this link: https://www.mobileapp.app/to/SuRRbRP?ref=m_so. Got the app? Use the invite code: PDW7NX

🌊 Learning Through Stories! Teaching open water survival is more than just skills—it’s about preparing for real situations. Using stories and scenarios helps students connect with what they’re learning and feel ready for anything. Check out what our friends from Swimming Waikato say! 💡 Tip: Share

You don’t need a beach or a river to teach real-world water safety — you just need a bit of creativity and purpose. The goal of Water Skills for Life isn’t to teach perfect strokes. It’s to prepare tamariki to survive and make good decisions in unpredictable environments like lakes, rivers, or flood

What support or resources would help you feel more confident delivering these experiences?

Did you know most drownings in NZ happen in open water, yet swimming lessons are still mostly pool-based? 🏊‍♂️🌊 We teamed up with Ballarat Aquatic Centre to change that—bringing real-world challenges into the pool to prepare students for rivers, lakes, and beaches. 🌊💪 By creating waves, teachin

🌊 Practice like it’s Real! Scenarios based on real-life situations help students prepare for emergencies. The more realistic the practice, the better their chances of survival 🛟 Challenge: Can you practise floating, signalling, and rescuing all in one session?   #OpenWaterSurvival #RealWorldSkill

What you'll gain: ✅ Key techniques for real-world open water survival 🌊 ✅ Age-appropriate teaching strategies tailored to years 3-4 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫 ✅ Tips for continuous improvement 💡 ✅ Insights from guest speakers sharing their journey of teaching open water skills 🚤 📅 Wednesday 19 February at 7:30

🛟 Be a Hero—Safely! Knowing how to perform a reach or throw rescue can save a life without putting yourself at risk. Remember: safety first! 💡 Tip: Use moving water during practice to simulate real rescue challenges.#RescueSkills #WaterSafetyFirst

This is why we teach streamline body position in this video you can see the impact head control can have on your body position. It is also important to work on breath control as this can alter your bodies ability to maintain a stable body position i.e floating https://www.facebook.com/share/r/kpu

Did you know that sharing real-life stories can make water safety lessons more relatable and impactful? Whether it's a whānau tale of resilience or examples of quick thinking in dangerous situations, storytelling helps children and adults alike understand the why behind critical water safety skills.

What you'll gain: ✅ Key techniques for real-world open water survival 🌊 ✅ Age-appropriate teaching strategies tailored to years 0-2 👩‍🏫👨‍🏫 ✅ Tips for continuous improvement 💡 ✅ Insights from guest speakers sharing their journey of teaching open water skills 🚤 📅 Wednesday 5 February at 7:30

🌊 Building Confidence with Realistic Rescue Skills 🌊 Are your students ready to act safely and effectively in emergencies? 💡 Key Takeaway: Teaching rescue techniques in realistic conditions equips students with the skills and confidence to make life-saving decisions while prioritising safety. ✨

🔁 Small Steps Lead to Big Gains! Teaching survival skills step by step ensures students are confident at every stage. Start simple, then build complexity for real-world readiness. 1️⃣ Accidental Fall In 2️⃣ Floating 3️⃣ Signaling for Help 4️⃣ Sculling in Calm Water 5️⃣ Sculling in Moving Currents

https://www.watersafetynz.org/2024-national-drowning-prevention-report

🚨 Can you float for 3 minutes while clothed? Floating is a critical survival skill that saves energy and gives rescuers time to find you. Practising this skill in moving water simulated in your pool builds confidence for emergencies when you get in trouble in the open water. 🛟 Challenge: Try flo

Swimming in a pool offers a controlled, safe environment to build foundational water skills. However, introducing simulated open water elements into lessons is a vital step for anyone aiming to be truly water-safe. Open water environments, such as rivers, lakes, and oceans, present unique challenges

As we step into 2025, the call to action for water safety educators has never been clearer. Every year, New Zealand faces a tragic reality: the majority of drownings occur in open water environments. Rivers, lakes, and the ocean—beautiful and inviting—can turn treacherous in an instant. As an indus