With more focus on water safety during the summer months, especially on safe boating, some of our instructors have added another skill set to their résumés through Coastguard Boating Education.  Staff from the Northland Swim for Life Programme and Top Energy WaterSafe Programme took part in some training recently to deliver boating education into our schools as an extension to the current programmes. 

Coupled with the training, Coastguard Boating Education also donated equipment required to deliver the programme and Sport Northland is now able to offer schools who are part of the Northland Swim For Life and Top Energy WaterSafe programmes the opportunity for their students to participate in a course going forward. 

This season, Sport Northland will be incorporating ‘boat safety education’ at beach days to be held in Whangarei and Kaipara in March 2016.  The learning outcomes for students include covering theory on safe boating with life-jackets, dangers/hazards, hypothermia, equipment, distress signals, skipper and crew responsibilities, and practical experience of capsizing a small boat and what to do as an individual or group to survive.  Once students have completed all learning outcomes they will receive a certificate for their achievement.

Swim For Life Team Leader Louise Collings says “we (Sport Northland) are grateful for this partnership and we thank Coastguard Boating Education for this opportunity to enhance our tamariki further on the importance of boat safety in a bid to keep everyone safer in, on and around water this summer”.