Water Safety Awards
The three Water Safety Awards teach water danger awareness, self-rescue techniques and vital survival skills in clothes, without swimming goggles. They have been developed in partnership with Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Royal Lifesaving Society UK (RLSS UK) and are a must for any parent to consider for their child.
Water Safety Award 1
Water Safety Award 1 is targeted at swimmers who no longer require the assistance of buoyancy aids when in the water.
During this Award your child will learn basic water safety awareness and survival techniques such as floating, treading water and submerging and resurfacing, without goggles.
To pass this Award, learners must:
- Enter water with a swivel entry, walk five metres away from the side, turn through 180° and return to the side.
- Jump into shoulder depth water, turn to hold the side, travel hand over hand to the steps and climb out.
- Enter the water of at least full reach depth with a swivel entry and hold the side; remove both hands from the side and rotate through 360°, hold side and exit the water.
- Enter water of at least full reach depth with a swivel entry; hold the side with one hand; release the hand and tread water for 10 seconds; exit the water.
- Travel five metres on the front; rotate onto the back and kick five metres to the side.
- Travel five metres away from the side and without touching the bottom show a vertical position for three seconds before travelling back to the side.
- In shoulder depth water and without touching the side fully submerge the head showing confidence and control.
Water Safety Award 2
This Award introduces swimming in clothes, the key water safety messages from RNLI and RLSS, and essential personal survival techniques such as the Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP).
To pass this Award, learners must:
- Enter water of at least full reach depth from the side of the pool by sliding in from a sitting position.
- Tread water for two minutes.
- Swim 25 metres to a floating object.
- Take up and hold the ‘H.E.L.P.’ position for five minutes in water of at least full reach depth.
- Swim 50 metres retaining the floating object.
- Climb out from water of at least full reach depth without using the steps or rail or any other assistance.
- Answer three questions on when the skills learned might be used.
Water Safety Award 3
On completing this third and final Water Safety Award your child will fully understand how to perform safe self-rescue in different open and pool-based water situations, and what to do if they fall into water unexpectedly.
To pass this Award, learners must:
- Enter water of at least full reach depth using a straddle entry.
- Tread water for two minutes with one arm out of the water (the raised hand to be above the head throughout, candidates may change arms twice throughout).
- Swim 25 metres to a floating object.
- Take up and hold the ‘H.E.L.P.’ position for six minutes.
- Participate in a ‘HUDDLE’ for two minutes using any floating object for support with at least two other similarly clothed swimmers who may be candidates.
- Swim 100 metres retaining a floating object.
- Climb out from water of at least full reach depth without using the steps or rail.
- Answer three questions on when the skills learned might be used.
