Safe Swimming Practices 

• DO learn to swim. If you like to have a good time doing water activities, being a strong swimmer is a must.
• DO take a friend along. Even though you may be a good swimmer, you never know when you may need help. Having friends around is safer and just more fun!
• DO know your limits. Watch out for the “too’s” – too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much hard activity.
• DO swim in supervised (watched) areas only, and follow all signs and warnings.
• DO wear a life jacket when boating, jet skiing, water skiing, rafting, or fishing.
• DO stay alert to currents. They can change quickly! If you get caught in a strong current, don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the shore until you have passed through it. Near piers, jetties (lines of big rocks,), small dams, and docks, the current gets unpredictable and could knock you around. If you find it hard to move around, head to shore. Learn to recognize and watch for dangerous waves and signs of rip currents – water that is a weird color, really choppy, foamy, or filled with pieces of stuff.
• DO keep an eye on the weather. If you spot bad weather (dark clouds, lighting), pack up and take the fun inside.

Unsafe Swimming Practices

• DO NOT mess around in the water. Pushing or dunking your friends can get easily out of hand.
• DO NOT dive into shallow water. If you don’t know how deep the water is, don’t dive.
• DO NOT float where you can’t swim. Keep checking to see if the water is too deep, or if you are too far away from the shore or the poolside.

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Pool Safety: 

• Watch your kids when they are in and around water without distraction.
• Assign a “Water Watcher” (an adult who will pay constant attention to children in the water).
• Teach children to swim and the 5 Water Survival Skills*.
• Learn CPR and basic rescue skills.
• Make sure pools have four-sided fencing at least 4 feet high.

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*5 Water Survival Skills:

1. Step or jump into water over your head and return to the surface.
2. Float or tread water for one minute.
3. Turn around in a full circle and find an exit from the water.
4. Swim 25 yards to the exit.
5. Exit from the water. If in a pool, be able to exit without using the ladder.

For more information about water safety: Click Here 

For more information about drowning prevention: Click Here