Swimming feature

A guide to Staying SAFE around water this summer

By Claire Harrison, Swimming Rocks

With the school holidays just around the corner and many of you looking forward to your summer holidays, weekends away and trips to the seaside, it’s sensible to turn our attention to keeping your family safe around water.

Often the excitement of these trips can mean that normal safety actions are not followed and the temptation to just jump in before weighing up the risks can often lead to accidents.

According to the Royal Life Saving Society, “On average, more than 400 people drown in the UK each year. Nearly 60 of these are children and young people and the risks are even greater on holiday”. We believe that if you understand the risks that water can hold, be as knowledgeable and as prepared as possible, you can keep your family safe this summer whilst having some super splashing fun!

Here are our guidelines to staying safe this summer…

• Keep young children under constant supervision, it doesn’t take much water depth to get into trouble and in any case, it’s more fun to swim together!

• Learn to swim—improve your confidence and learn some skills before you go. Many swim schools have 5 day crash courses in the school holidays as well as weekly term time lessons. And remember lessons are not just for babies and children, adults can benefit from a bit of guidance too.

• Look for Lifeguards—a safe pool or beach will always have one on duty. They will be trained about the water risks in a given environment and will give you added reassurance for your family.

• Follow the pool rules and signs—never dive into a shallow pool and make sure that you are aware of water flow, temperature and layout.

• Never swim alone—and make sure that you know where your family is at all times.

• Don’t use inflatables in the sea—they are a well-known hazard and can easily drift out or get caught in strong currents.

• Be aware of the beach flags and signs—keep to the safe areas and know when the tides are coming in and out. Dangerous rip-tides are a big threat so follow the advice offered.

• Swim parallel to the shore and keep away from rocky areas.

• If you get into trouble in water—wave your hand and shout loud but try and stay calm. The current advice is to float on your back to conserve energy.

• Drowning does not look like it does in the movies. It can be silent and you need to be aware of the signs. RLSS.org.uk is a wealth of information.

• Take a first aid course. There are lots of paediatric courses on offer. It could save a life

• Use floatation aids if you need to—they may not be used in your swimming lessons, but they can offer reassurance when on holiday. We LOVE Swim Fins (https://swimfin.co.uk) which are fun for kids too.

• Know the S-A-F-E Code

S – Spot DangerA – Follow Advice F – Stay close to Family members or Friends

E – shout for help and know the Emergency numbers for where you are

Now you know how to be safe…. pack your bags, slap on the sunscreen and HAVE FUN!

Swimming Rocks offer swimming lessons 7 days a week in venues across London.

They are offering all Families readers 10% off any 5 day summer crash course. Quote FAM10 to claim this offer.

Follow them on Instagram for helpful advice, news and stories @swimmingrockslondon #swimmingrockslondon

www.swimmingrocks.co.uk Tel: 07557 051 904 info@swimmingrocks.co.uk

Drowning prevention week is 15th – 25th June 2018 www.rlss.org.uk for more information

Why invest in private swimming lessons for children?

By SwimWay

If you are looking for the quickest, safest and most effective option for your child to learn how to swim, then private swimming lessons are the answer.

Photo: Arthur & Veronica

With SwimWay’s private swimming lessons, the focus will be on your child. Our experienced and highly trained swimming instructors will focus every 30 minute class on your child. This not only helps to build rapport between teacher and student, but it also helps children build confidence in the water. Our students know that their SwimWay coach is right there in the water supporting them.

In large public classes, the instructor may have to split their time between 8 other students. That doesn’t leave much time for individual focus and attention. This also means private classes are safer because your children are supervised throughout the whole lesson. SwimWay instructors are some of the most highly trained instructors in London when it comes to safety. All our teachers participate in safety training at the start of each term, which is specially produced by SwimWay for our private pool locations.

It can be frustrating for parents when their child does not receive enough attention in their classes and falls behind other students. Our teaching methodology has been specifically designed for small personal classes; it works to the individual needs of each student. These bespoke children’s classes begin with teaching children to use their own buoyancy in the water. We never use buoyancy aids so children learn to swim without relying on something other than themselves to keep them afloat.

To see availability for their private lessons go to www.swimway.co.uk 020 8871 3972.

Swimming

Get ready for Summer swimming

We’re all dreaming of a long, hot

summer. And, of course, a perfect summer includes lots of water fun! The swimming pool is one of the best places for both you and your little one to cool down and have some splashy fun together. Your baby doesn’t need to have had their immunisations before you take to the pool, but before you go, it’s a good idea to phone ahead to check the water temperature—it should be at least 30° for a baby older than 12 weeks (or heavier than 12lbs), and above 32° if they’re younger or smaller.

Start by holding your baby upright, facing you and bouncing them around in the water, gently splashing from side to side. Keep lots of eye contact and gentle encouragement. You can try saying your baby’s “name, ready, go!” then wiping a palm-full of water down their face. Let them kick their legs, and sit them on the side, gently splashing them in to the tune of ‘Humpty Dumpty’. Take it slowly, keep the mood light, and let your baby dictate the pace and how long you spend in the water.

A question we’re often asked at this time of year is whether it’s safe to take your baby in the sea. While it’s too cold and salty for babies under 6 months, your older baby or toddler will love a splash in the surf! Just remember to stay in your depth, avoid inflatables, and keep hold of your little one at all times.

While you're both having a splashy time, why not keep up the momentum and think about baby swimming lessons? Not only is it one of the best things you can do to bond with your little one, it also develops learning skills, boosts confidence, improves co-ordination and enhances wellbeing. And just think of all the extra fun you'll be able to have the next time you go on holiday with your little water baby, there'll be no stopping them!

Water Babies multi-award winning classes fill up quickly, so give them a call on 020 7585 1510 or email them at readygo@waterbabies.co.uk to find out more.

Swimming: an essential life saving skill

By South West Swimming School

With summer holidays fast approaching, families with young children will be travelling to resorts with swimming pools, sea side or lakes. Playing with water is a great way to beat the heat, however drowning at a young age is still one of the most common accidental deaths, says the local South West Swim School. Being able to swim is an essential life-saving skill that can help save your child’s life.

Give your child a chance to learn basic swimming’s skills and this will become more than just a skill for a holiday. Swimming is lots of fun for people of all ages and children especially love getting in the water and enjoying themselves.

But it is not just fun, swimming also provides loads of health benefits which can help to keep your children healthy and happy at the same time:

• Swimming keeps your child’s heart and lungs healthy, improves strength and flexibility, increases stamina and even improves balance and posture

• Swimming provides challenges and rewards accomplishments, which helps children to become self-confident and believe in their abilities

• Your child will have plenty of opportunities to make friends and grow in confidence

All South West Swim School teachers are carefully selected for their teaching quality, knowledge and experience. Call 020 8767 2723 to reserve your space. www.swswimschool.co.uk

Pools not Baths

Many, like us at Waterlife, are concerned by the amount of single use disposable nappies that are sent to land fill each week. Because our clients are such precious people we take pool hygiene and the environment seriously.

All swimmers are requested to shower and be potty trained. Children and adults use toilet facilities prior to swimming. These simple actions drastically decrease the amount of chemicals used to maintain water quality and balance the PH, ultimately kinder to everyone’s skin and our natural water system.

All children up to the age of 2 years old are required to wear both a Happy Nappy and an inner layer to catch any “accidents.” We recommend the use of a more environmentally friendly nappy liners used in conjunction

with a Nappy Wrap. The liners, being both biodegradable and flushable will ultimately have less of an impact on the planet. After the initial outlay for the nappy wrap, liners are far more cost effective so kinder to your purse. We like products from www.splashabout.com