Water Safety and FREE online safety course
As we approach the summer, The Flipper Club focusses on water safety and life saving in all our classes. Depending on the level of the swimmers we utilise the Swim England water safety awards, STA water safety skills series and also Rookie Lifeguard. For our youngest swimmers and beginners we have also created ‘The Flipper Club water safety introduction award’ to start teaching and educating the fundamentals of keeping safe in and around water of all types.
We have a number of open water coaches at The Flipper Club, operating out of Divers Cove in Godstone, and a while back we were introduced to this free online water safety course through West Mercia Search and Rescue. This is a brilliant introduction to water safety and is well worth parents and swimmers alike to complete - it’s only 20-30 minutes and it could save your life! Here is the link: https://westmerciasar.org.uk/homeanddry/free-water-safety-online-course/
In our local area we have a number of bodies of water to enjoy - rivers like the River Mole and River Wey, lakes and the sea not far away. We hope that you’d never need to use them - but rescue techniques are a life skill that maybe needed when you least expect it. It’s why during our water safety classes swimmers are asked not to wear goggles and for Stage 4 and above they wear clothes. We talk through and recreate examples of when people may unexpectedly find themselves in water and what to do. Would you know what to do?
The RNLI have a very powerful and simple message to follow - FLOAT TO LIVE.
Here are 5 steps for floating on your back:
Tilt your head backwards
Relax and try to breathe normally, nice and slowly
Move your hands gently in the water to help you stay afloat
It’s OK if your legs sink we all float differently
Spread your arms and legs to improve stability
Many of our swimmers have been give the ‘homework’ of finding out what the ‘water safety code’ is. Do you know? It’s the simple guidance to follow from the RLSS (Royal Life Saving Society)…
