Swimming is a globally beloved and family-friendly activity that many enjoy because of its refreshing yet energetic nature. This is the reason why many parents train their children to swim at an early age.
However, it is important to be mindful of the safety hazards that you and your family could face in the open water. For all of its relaxing perks, swimming can be quite dangerous, and if you step into the water without knowing the proper safety measures, you’re clearly setting yourself up for unfortunate accidents.
This is your guide to learning how to swim safe. It doesn’t matter what your age, experience, or skill level is - If you want to enjoy the water up close, you must learn how to swim safely.
How to Get Started with Open Water Swimming?
You are more likely to be comfortable in a pool than in a river or lake. Swimming pools are relatively safer, so there’s more room to make mistakes and try different techniques. You can feel your feet losing contact with the bottom of the surface as you swim further into the pool, so you know where to stay and how to navigate your way around.
On the other hand, swimming in open water can feel extremely frightening as you don’t know if you’re ready to face the unpredictability of nature and move around the water freely. If you’re getting back to swimming after a really long time, rely on the swimming techniques you’re most familiar with and build your grip around them.
On the other hand, if you’re starting with no prior experience, you’ll need some help to cover the basics. Here are some open-water swimming tips:
- First, make sure you learn to swim in an area you’re already familiar with. If you choose open water somewhere you’ve never been before, the unpredictability of the depth and temperature of the water will make you anxious. But if you know what to expect in the open water, you’ll be mentally prepared. Learn in advance of any possible wildlife creatures, boaters, or other swimmers.
- Once the safety of your surroundings is out of the way, you can start getting your hands wet. You can start by moving around just to adapt to the open water conditions. If you want to set goals for how fast and far you can travel, set your targets realistically and increase them as you improve.
It’s always best to have a professional trainer by your side. With over 200 swimming instructors to start your swimming lessons nyc, Superprof’s instructors know how to teach a child to swim in a pool or open water. Cross the tide with Superprof’s private swim lessons.
What Swimming Safety Tips Should You Follow?
As mentioned earlier, swimming can be an incredibly dangerous sport, and in open water, it can be downright life-threatening. It’s important to know what to do before taking a dip, what equipment should you use, and what to look out for in your surroundings. So, let’s discuss some primary safety precautions all swimmers should take to stay risk-free.
Try a Shower Before You Head In
It’s always good to take a quick shower before you go for a swim, especially if you’re using a public pool. You don’t know what your body is carrying, and you don’t want it to infect the pool water as you move within it freely. A shower beforehand will reduce the risk of any polluting odors spreading in the water, keeping it safe and healthy for all swimmers.
Be Prepared with the Right Swimming Safety Gear
Having the right wearables for your swim and suitable emergency equipment is essential. So, here’s a handy list of what you need to wear while swimming and what you should pack in case of emergencies:
- Swimsuit
- Swimming Cap
- Swimming Goggles
- Trunks
- Wetsuit
- Sunscreen
- First-aid kit
- Fins (Optional)
- Waterproof headphones or earplugs (Optional)
- Life jacket/Life vest/Other floatation devices for beginners and children
Check the Weather
As discussed earlier, open-water swimmers must be aware of their surroundings in order to stay safe. This doesn’t just include water conditions but also the weather in your area.
Check with the local authorities and keep up with the daily forecasts. If there are any signs of rip currents or approaching storms, you might want to postpone your swimming session, as these aren’t ideal conditions for an activity in open water.
Take Things Slowly
As with any sport, don’t push your limits in swimming. In the beginning, you’ll find yourself struggling a lot, especially if you’ve never been in the water before. But that doesn’t mean you should quit or push yourself further. Know how much your body can take.
Endurance will increase over time, and as it does, you’ll naturally find yourself improving. So, don’t try to cross any speed or distance records at first - instead, learn at your body’s pace.
Practice Underwater Breathing Exercises
Every once in a while, you might cross paths with a fellow swimmer who’s a bit too excited and likes splashing water around. If you’re in close range, you might accidentally consume or breathe in some of the water or get pushed below the surface level.
In that case, you might find it difficult to breathe or your heart rate increasing. Don’t panic. Just stay calm, exit the pool, and take long, deep breaths to balance the oxygen.
Look Out for Water Hazards in the Pool and Open Water
Did you know that in 2019, 236,000 deaths worldwide were caused by drowning? That’s because whether you’re in a pool or open water, the dangers of water are inevitable, so you must know what to avoid. Firstly, never play around with the pool drains and skimmers as they suck water through a drainage system. If you get trapped in the suction of these drains, you could easily end up drowning. Similarly, you could also get stuck if you swim too close to some of the removable components of the pool, like ladders and railings.
Have a Friend by Your Side
As an extra measure, you should have a swimming buddy to help you whenever you get in trouble. You can’t always rely on the lifeguard as they have many other swimmers to look out for. You should have a personal friend by your side whose swimming skills are good enough to get you out of any sticky situations. This can be your swimming partner, water safety instructor, or anyone reliable with swimming recovery. Just don’t take the risk of swimming alone.
If you don’t know anyone reliable for this task, you might want to consider hiring a private coach who can look out for your safety and teach you about swimming importance. Superprof’s got hundreds of such professionals who can keep you at ease and introduce you to swimming psychological benefits as you grow your experience around the pool. Cross the waves under the watchful eye of Superprof’s swimming lessons miami.
How to Keep the Pool Safe?
If you have a pool at your place, you can practice the following pool tips to keep it safe for use. However, if you’re using a public pool at your local swimming center, ask the staff if the following measures are effectively and consistently implemented:
| Pool Safety Measures | Description | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fence Off the Pool | The last thing you want is for your child to jump off or fall into the pool without your supervision. In fact, 75% of children under 15 who died by drowning met their demise in a private swimming pool. To prevent such unfortunate accidents, it wouldn’t hurt to set up a gate or fencing system that blocks access to the pool. Build a 1.5m high fence with a gate that the child cannot pass. You can keep the gate locked, or for further safety, you can study government bylaws on pool safety. | |||
| Cover All the Drains and Suction Hazards | We’ve already talked about how dangerous pool drains can be. To avoid suction traps, you must make sure all the drains are properly sealed. If the drain cover is missing, consult a qualified pool consultant to arrange an identical replacement. | |||
| Keep the Pool Clean and Healthy | It should come as no surprise that swimming pools take up a lot of germs and bacteria that make them unhealthy to use. Thus, it’s important to follow proper cleaning protocols to keep the environment healthy. | |||
| Don’t bring any breakable items like dishes or glasses into the pool, as they can lead to serious hazards that can only be undone by draining the pool. Don’t bring any food or drinks into the pool as they only add to the bacteria and waste materials. Follow the proper maintenance instructions to stabilize the pool’s circulation process. |
Break the Tide with Superprof’s Swimmers Guide
Swimming is a fulfilling sport, and if practiced safely and cautiously, it can help you relax, cool off from the heat, connect you to nature, and offer other swimming advantages. You just need to channel your inner mermaid by learning it at a consistent but reasonable pace, and that’s what Superprof is here for.
Their library of hundreds of swimming trainers shows you how to teach swimming to your child. So, sign up to Superprof and take a peek at the world underwater.
Instill a lifelong love for water safety and joy with our swimming lessons for toddlers! Our program goes beyond just teaching swimming skills – it focuses on building confidence, fostering a positive relationship with water, and ensuring your little one is equipped with essential water safety knowledge. Enroll your toddler today, and let us embark on a journey of aquatic discovery and early development together!
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