Essential Water Safety Skills

Learn to Swim Programs
VICSWIM Programs
When can you learn to Swim
Improving your Swimming Stroke
Lifesaving Strokes
How to Become a Teacher

Learn to Swim Programs

There are many learn to swim programs offered throughout Victoria. Lessons are available through:

• School programs
• VICSWIM holiday programs
• Your local aquatic centre or swim school.

When choosing a learn to swim program, make sure the lessons meet the following standards:

• Qualified teachers - check to see if all the teachers hold an AUSTSWIM certificate
• Class ratios - beginner classes should have no more than ten children. This ratio will change with the ability of the child and the type of water environment for which the lesson is being held. Eg for the open water environment the ratio is one teacher to no more than six children. Remember: some children will require one to one supervision.
• Water temperature - warm water is important for very young children

VICSWIM Programs

The VICSWIM School Holiday Program is an intensive learn to swim and water safety program. Each program is one week long, running for one week in the June/July and September holidays and three weeks in the January holidays. Each child will receive a 40 minute lesson each day for five days. All teachers hold current AUSTSWIM and CPR qualifications.

For further information please contact Aquatics and Recreation Victoria

When can you learn to Swim?

• Formal 'water familiarisation' classes are recommended for infants 6 months of age and older. Before this, water play activities in the bath at home can be fun. Being able to swim correctly opens up many opportunities to make water play both fun and safe.
• The initial stages of learning with very young children are based on developing confidence and making the child comfortable in a water environment. Until the age of about 4 years of age programs involve the parent participating with the child in the water.
• When children are 4 years of age and over they can begin formal swimming instruction and work independently in a group with other children (without parents). Then they will learn individual skills including strokes.
• For many parents the main reason for taking swimming lessons is to ensure their children are safe in and around water. Water safety skills are an integral part of lessons..

Improving your Swimming Stroke

Learn to swim programs will teach you the basics of swimming and introduce you to the fundamentals of water safety including survival strokes and rescue techniques. However many people are keen to become stronger swimmers and improving your swimming technique is an essential component to achieving that aim.

Local swimming clubs often have stroke development squads at different levels in order to help improve your stroke, and introduce you to the main competitive strokes. There are also swimming coaches with squads that can help in improving your skills.

Contact Swimming Victoria on 9686 5222 to find the location of your local swimming club or the nearest swimming coach.

AUSSI Masters also conduct swimming training for adult swimmers phone 8843 2016

Lifesaving Strokes

Lifesaving strokes have been designed to reduce the amount of energy expanded by the swimmer, for this reason they form the bases for then learning how to perform a safe rescue.

There are different skills needed for swimming in open water and these can be developed through a lifesaving club. There is a very strong interest in lifesaving in Australia, and a visit to the beach is part of the Australian culture. Many Australians spend hours in the surf and need to develop the skills to cope with the surf environment.

There are a range of lifesaving awards that will help develop your skills in the various lifesaving and survival strokes. For further information about finding your local life saving club please contact Life Saving Victoria.

How to Become a Teacher

Being a swimming and water safety teacher can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. There is a nationally recognised qualification known as the 'AUSTSWIM Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety Certificate', which can be used throughout Australia.

Contact AUSTSWIM Victoria to find out about how to gain this qualification. Phone 1300 885 666. Or alternatively please contact Aquatics and Recreation Victoria.