Survival Swimming Lessons

We believe in safety, in and around the water.

Teaching lifesaving and survival skills are an essential and integrated part of every swimming lesson at Kingswim. Every week, children are taught basic swimming skills that lead them to be confident and capable in the water.

What is Survival Swimming?

Survival swimming gives kids the essential skills to be confident and safe swimmers, particularly in the event of an emergency. It’s vital that children learn the necessary water safety and survival skills which can help prevent drownings and tragedies.

Survival Swimming Program at Kingswim

We offer baby survival swim lessons for babies from 3 months old up, toddler survival swimming, as well as survival skills for children of all ages in all our classes. Our centres incorporate survival swimming skills into all weekly lessons; ensuring children become confident and capable in the water. On top of this, one in every four lesson plans has an additional focus on specific water safety, lifesaving and survival skills in every class level. To further promote and strengthen the survival swimming techniques and messages taught in weekly classes, Kingswim also runs two special themed weeks ‘Survival Week’ and ‘Endurance Week’ twice a year.

Survival Swimming Benefits:

There are multiple benefits when it comes to survival swimming. Check out all of the benefits of survival swimming now!

Survival Week:

The skills taught during Survival Week are appropriate and tailored to each level in our program from Parent Child classes right through to the Graduate program and include:

Survival Swimming Skills

Understanding your own limitations
Safe entry & exit
Signalling for help
Rescue – how to be rescued
Rescue – Can I do it safely – how to perform a reach & throw rescue

Survival Strokes

Survival Backstroke
Survival Breaststroke
Sidestroke
Survival resting strokes

1. Understanding your own limitations

Learning to swim is the #1 lifesaving skill you can have. However, even good swimmers (and platypuses) should always respect water. It’s important to only enter water when you have adult supervision.

And remember, when you’re at the beach, always swim between the red and yellow flags.

2. Rescue - How to be rescued

If you fall into a pool accidentally, turn and reach for wall where you can use the monkey walk to hold on tight to the wall and move around the edge to safety. If you’re stuck in deep water, remember to use survival strokes to save energy.

When being rescued, hold on tightly to the object thrown or held out to you. This will allow you to keep your head above water and be pulled to safety.

And remember, never jump in the water to save a friend. Instead ask yourself ‘Can I safely throw them a flotation device or reach them with an object like a pole, rope or towel.’

3. Safe entry and exit

When entering the pool, always perform a safety entry. This allows you to slowly lower yourself into the water feet-first so you can feel for the bottom of the pool or unexpected objects.

When exiting the pool, remember to use your elbows and knees. This will make it easier to safely climb out.

And remember, always enter the water feet first.

4. Signalling for help

In an emergency, you can signal for help by raising your arm above your head and shouting ‘Help!’

And remember, your raised hand should be closed like a fist so that people can see you need help and are not waving hello.

5. Survival strokes

Survival strokes are used to help you save energy in the water. When swimming survival sidestroke or survival backstroke, your hands stay under the water which helps to save energy.

Survival strokes can also be used later in life by advanced swimmers to perform contact and non-contact rescues, allowing the rescuer to tow someone to safety.

6. Stride jump

Safety strides are used in life saving situations and allow you to enter unfamiliar water.

They allow rescuers to keep their face above the surface of the water so they can see and talk to the person being rescued.

A stride jump reduces the chance of hurting yourself as you enter unknown waters.

Endurance Week:

Here at Kingswim we know Water Safety in and around the water is a life skill, but so is Endurance Swimming. Endurance Week is all about educating and teaching our swimmers the importance of long-distance swimming because in an emergency situation, we might not always be close to safety and having the endurance and stamina to swim is a vital skill. Our older swimmers will learn to swim approx. 1500m, whereas our little swimmers will continue to develop trust, confidence, body position, basic propulsion and how to return safely to the wall.

What are the benefits of Endurance Week?

Your child will have a better understanding of their limits in the water
Your child will have more awareness around being safe in different situations
Your child will be taught an appropriate length based for their ability

What is the difference in Survival Week and our upcoming Endurance Week?

Survival Week teaches our swimmers the skills to prepare them for an emergency, Endurance Week is all about swimming longer distance, endurance and stamina.

Students don’t need to wear any special clothing, regular bathers, googles, swim caps are fine.

Water Safety Incursions for Preschoolers

We also run a free community water safety program for children aged 2 to 5. The incursion teaches little ones all about water safety, including basic rescue and survival swimming tips. Our team travel to early learning centres to deliver the fun and interactive kindergarten incursion.

Water safety program