Sport Northland hosted have a go pool and beach days for children to experience swim and survival skills as part of the Northland Swim For Life programme and with nearly 500 students from 11 schools from the Whangarei and Kaipara, the days were hugely successful.

Each student got to experience three activities involving snorkelling, boat safety – covering off things such as safety before going out in a boat, what to do if you flip out of a boat, wearing lifejackets etc and river safety /survival skills which covered off what to do if you get in to trouble i.e. survival floating, treading water, using aids to float at the pools.  Meanwhile sailing, snorkelling, boat safety and survivals skills were taught at the beach locations.

Swim For life Team Leader, Louise Collings says “snorkelling and sailing were a fantastic hit with all the students, giving them a have a go experience in open water in a fun way. Students got to sail their own optimist dinghies and snorkel in pairs while still focussing on safety”.

Most of the school pools around Northland are shallow and because of this students do not always get the opportunity to put into practise the skills that they have learnt from being a part of the Northland Swim For Life Programme in deep or open water environments.  The activities such as river safety and survival skills help the students realise their limitations, and gives them practical experience and knowledge on how to survive in open or deep water.  Floating/treading water in clothes and being able to get undressed in deep water is just one skill to help you survive.

The days have been supported by a private trust without whom, it would not be possible for a lot of these students to experience deep water activities in a safe environment. 

Collings says “these 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 went around each activity.  For some of them they were out of their comfort zone being in deep water, they showed courage to face the unknown and overcome their fears to enjoy all the activities and hopefully carry these skills and confidence forward in their future water adventures and be safer in, on and around water”.