Swim Tangaroa Waterways Safety Week

Waterways Safety Week is coming to your Swim Tangaroa lessons from 12 - 18 June!

Our Swim Tangaroa friends have been preparing to take you on a journey to learn important water safety skills and strategies for different waterways including the beach, lakes, rivers and more.

During this week, Swim Tangaroa lessons will include fun drills and activities to educate students on common water safety hazards in various waterways including the beach, rivers and lakes, equipping them with essential safety strategies and skills for life. These activities may include beach and river themed swimming obstacles, rescue drills and scenarios, safety games and more. Please speak to your Swim Tangaroa team for more information.

The Importance of Waterways Safety

Knowing how to stay safe in and around water and learning to swim are vital skills for life. But how well do you know your water safety in aquatic settings other than the swimming pool? 

There are many different waterways and types of aquatic settings you may come across throughout New Zealand, each with different rules, hazards to look out for and important safety advice to follow. Knowing this advice could be the lifesaving factor if you find yourself in a tricky situation, and could prevent injuries, other medical emergencies and drownings. Whether you are on a holiday, a family outing, a school excursion or going about your everyday life, you can never be too prepared for an unforeseen water incident as they can occur even in predominantly dry settings. 

Did you know? In 2022, there were 94 preventable fatal drownings in New Zealand waterways, according to Water Safety New Zealand. Interestingly, the top two environments for drowning deaths included surf beaches and rivers. These unfortunate cases reiterate the importance of knowing how to stay safe in and around various types of waterways and aquatic settings.

Consider our top 5 reasons why you and your child should learn how to be safe in different waterways: 

1. Knowing your waterways safety can save a life! With careful consideration of potential water safety hazards and the knowledge of safety advice, your actions could save a life. 

2. Waterways safety knowledge will support your child’s ability to keep themselves safe. This may help to alleviate concern in instances where you may not be present to support your child, such as on a school excursion or other activity whilst in the care of other adults. 

3. You will know what to look out for. Many water hazards are unsuspected, however with waterways safety knowledge you will have a better understanding of what conditions and warning signs to look out for in different settings. 

4. Waterways safety knowledge supports safe decision making in group settings. Learning about specific hazards and conditions in different waterways can educate and support informed decision making, such as whether it is safe to swim in a waterhole or how to check the depth of a river before entering the water. This is particularly helpful in group setting where children and adolescents can succumb to peer pressure or become blinded to hazards due to excitement and distraction. 

5. You will be able to confidently enjoy swimming and leisurely activities in various waterways. Nothing is better for swimming progression than consistency in lessons and swimming practice. Enjoy swimming and leisurely activities in different aquatic settings knowing you can stay safe. 

For more information on Water Safety New Zealand’s key findings and research on New Zealand drownings, visit www.watersafety.org.nz/