Ocean Awareness and Survival Program
These programs offer unique and very important life saving skills of how to swim and be active in the ocean, and in a beach environment in a safe and fun way. Learning to be safe in the ocean and surf requires a basic level of swimming competence as well as having an understanding of personal life saving skills whilst in and around water.
The ocean awareness & safety and surf skills component can be incorporated as a progression of sessions over a term, but also be arranged as a Beach Day excursion at the conclusion of a pool based program. A Beach Day excursion may include multiple activities and games on the beach as well as in the surf.
See the following outcomes of Ocean Awareness and Survival Programs:
Swim & Survive/Water Safety Outcomes:
- develop personal water safety and general aquatic survival fitness
- develop a minimum of 100 metres of Freestyle (and extend strokes
- Freestyle fitness)
- demonstrate knowledge of when to use survival skills such as survival strokes and learn various self rescue techniques as well as develop life saving techniques to assist other swimmers in distress
Ocean Awareness and Safety and Surf Swimming & Skills Outcomes:
- develop knowledge and ability to identify and understand the effects of rips, currents, sandbanks, types of waves, water movement and maintain safety on the beach and in the surf
- build confidence and competence in ocean swimming; learning to navigate through the surf break, learn to swim in open water and bodysurf
- learn to identify risks and dangers in ever changing surf conditions, learn to safely enter and exit open water and beach breaks
- develop confidence in responding appropriately to challenging and even emergency situations in a beach/ocean environment
- learn about open water competition; incorporate surf knowledge and skills for better performance.