Swim and Survive
Learning to swim is challenging yet very rewarding. It provides opportunities for recreational activities and a healthy lifestyle, but also provides skills that may one day save a life.
Participation in swimming and water safety programs has many benefits including:
- An excellent form of exercise particularly because of its low impact nature
- A wonderful activity for the whole family
- Increasing motor development, balance and coordination skills
- Building confidence as competence in skills are achieved
- Improving medical conditions such as asthma and low muscle tone
Personal Aquatic Survival Skills
Learning to swim is not just about learning the competitive strokes but about developing a range of skills in personal survival, water safety and basic rescue. In fact, the survival aspect is considered so important that the Australian Taxation Office has granted GST free status to aquatic programs that meet the criteria of offering Personal Aquatic Survival Skills as the main purpose and content of their program.
Personal aquatic survival skills include:
- Treading water
- Safe entry and exit from the water
- Clothed swimming survival techniques
- Use of devices to assist rescue, and
- Basic swimming skills
These essential skills may prevent a person from drowning and enable them to make sound decisions when in an emergency situation. Swimming and water safety programs that are consistent with the National Swimming and Water Safety Framework such as Swim and Survive ensure that the acquisition of all the personal aquatic survival skills may be completed.