Swimming in South Africa

Here is a link to swimming lessons in South Africa.

I have been contacting swimming instructors to promote the swimming lessons dvd and have "met" with Mark Dixon of Swimming South Africa.  I love their beginners chart which the child completes with stickers.

It is also interesting to read their water safety rules.  How many apply to where you live? (especially number 6!)

Rule 1: Learn to swim.

Seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water. Learning to swim is therefore a survival skill which helps reduce drownings.

Rule 2: Never swim alone.

Although swimming is a survival skill, even good swimmers can drown when they experience difficulties in the water; for instance a cramp which immobilizes a muscle. Therefore swimming alone is always unsafe.

Rule 3: Do not swim at a river mouth.

An undercurrent forms where the river and the sea meet which flows in a different direction from the surface current. An undercurrent is very strong and sucks anything and anybody into the sea.

Rule 4: Never dive into unclear or shallow water.

Diving headlong into something invisible underneath the water or into the bottom of a body of water could cause serious damage, unconsciousness and even paralysis.

Rule 5: Do not play in swamps, on rocks or river banks.

Slippery and unstable surfaces near water are always dangerous and may cause sudden falls into unknown depths.

Rule 6: Beware of animals like crocodile and hippopotami under the water.

These large and dangerous African aquatic animals keep close to riverbanks and attack easily when humans intrude upon their habitats.

Rule 7: Beware of swift flowing undercurrents.

Water can flow very forcefully through constricted areas, especially during floods when the volume of water strengthens the current.

Rule 8: Check the depth of the water before you enter.

Familiarize yourself with the depth of a river, lake of dam by using a dipstick.

Rule 9: Have a rope or stick handy to help someone in trouble.

Only go into the water to help someone in trouble if you are a qualified lifesaver. Otherwise try to help someone in trouble by means of a rope or stick or a floatation device tied to a rope that is thrown into the water.

Rule 10: Adult permission and supervision is a must.

Never go swimming without permission and always swim where a parent, guardian or adult may oversee you and your friends.

Why do young children drown in shallow water?

How can a 2 year old who loves the water drown in shallow water?  

Have you heard of a baby who drowned in the bathtub?  How can that happen? 
The parent only left the child alone for  "a minute"! 

onto his belly and he doesn't know how to push himself up.  

We have to teach our baby to push up.  It is not an easy task for a baby or a toddler, even when they can do it on land!  

I believe that there is a valuable skill that very few parents and swim instructors address.  Even if a child can hold his breath and even swim a little, they can become a drowning statistic.  

Can your child go to a stand up position in shallow water from a prone swimming position?  

Let’s say your child is playing on the steps of the pool or in a shallow “baby pool”.  I have taught children who can swim from me to the side of the pool, but when they slipped on the steps they could not get up; did not think to reach for the step and push their faces up.  Parents and swim instructors, practice this with your child!  Teach how to stand up in shallow water.  It is a necessary survival skill.