Sport Northland recently organised the water safety ‘have a go’ beach days for invited Whangarei and Kaipara schools to allow children to experience swim and survival skills in an open water environment and to further educate students on water safety through the Swim For Life programme.  The Northland Swim For Life programme teaches children about water safety through hands on training, aiming to improve Northland primary and intermediate school students' swimming and water survival skills.

On 3 and 4 March 2016, 150 students from 6 schools (Tikipunga Primary, Hikurangi School, Ngunguru School, Ruawai Primary, Selwyn Park School and Tangowahine School) participated in the beach days held at Kowharewa Bay, Tutukaka and Kai Iwi Lakes, Dargaville. Each student got to experience Snorkelling, Boat Safety/Survival Skills, and Sailing. This year the programme incorporated the Coastguard Safe Boating module into the days.  All the students attended a theory session followed by a practical session in the water, where those students who completed both of sessions go onto receive a certificate for their achievements.

The days were supported by a private trust without whom, it would not be possible for a lot of these students to experience deep and open water activities in a safe environment, and have the opportunity to take part in the beach days.

Swim For Life Team Leader, Louise Collings, says the “the days were really well received by all students, teachers and providers. You could physically see the confidence building and growing in the students as they got out of their comfort zones in deep water with many of the students experiencing new activities for the first time”. 

Sport Northland is grateful to all the agencies that contributed to these events – Yachting New Zealand, Experiencing Marine Reserves and Swim For Life.  “All recognise how vital it is to give children the skills which will help protect them for life, and enable them to safely enjoy the abundant selection of water-based activities. The students who attended these days take away great memories along with the knowledge of how to keep safer in, on and around water” says Collings.

Pictured: Students from Ruawai Primary School learning some valuable boat safety skills with Swim For Life Instructor Dave Henderson at Kai Iwi Lakes with sailing in the background run by Yachting NZ.