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Water Skills for Life Providers

Water Skills For Life teacher professional development is conducted by Swimming New Zealand.

Teachers, you qualify for FREE teacher training if your school has a pool. Contact Karen Dalldorf now to secure your FREE training workshop (and poolside support).

Head of Education and Water Safety

Davin Bray. Phone 021 681 503

Email: Davin@swimming.org.nz

Auckland Education Advisor

Moe Richardson. Phone 021 804 326

Email: Moe@swimming.org.nz

Waikato Education Advisor

Wendy Smith. Phone 029 770 5252

Email: wendy@swimming.org.nz

National Aquatic Education and Water Safety Manager/Hawke’s Bay

Karen Dalldorf. Phone 021 649 998

Email: karen@swimming.org.nz 

Bay of Plenty Education Advisor

Contact Karen Dalldorf on 021 649 998

Email: karen@swimming.org.nz 

Taranaki Education Advisor

Cecilie Elliott. Phone 021 278 2052

Email:cecilie@swimming.org.nz

Wellington Education Advisor

Lauren McLellan. Phone 021 284 3297

Email: lauren@swimming.org.nz 

Christchurch Education Advisor

Jackie Mander. Phone 0272 409 627   

Email: jackiem@swimming.org.nz

 

Water Skills For Life providers by region

Northland

Sport Northland

Contact: Louise Collings Ph: 0274 141 467, E:  louisec@sportnorth.co.nz

Auckland

Aktive - Auckland Sport & Recreation 

Hazel Latoa, hazel.latoa@aktive.org.nz

Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation 

Contact: Rick Pickard, Ph: 027 688 9947,E: rick.pickard@fieldofdreams.org.nz

Waikato

Te Ripo Tapui Limited - Raglan

Contact: Mark Haimona, Ph: 027 584 0408, E: m.haimona@xtra.co.nz

Bay of Plenty

CLM Rotorua 

Contact: Claire Baylis, Swim Rotorua, E: cbaylis@xtra.co.nz

Hawkes Bay

Sport Hawke's Bay 

Contact: Roger Coleman Ph: 06 845 9336, E: rogerc@sporthb.net.nz

Gisborne

Swim for Life Tairawhiti Charitable Trust 

Contact: Carl Newman Ph: 021 839 776, E: carlnewman@xtra.co.nz

Taranaki

Swimming New Zealand

Contact: Cecilie Elliott, Ph: 021 278 2052, E: cecilie@swimming.org.nz

Whanganui

Swimming New Zealand

Contact: Cecilie Elliott, Ph: 021 278 2052, E: cecilie@swimming.org.nz

Manawatu

Swimming New Zealand

Contact: Cecilie Elliott, Ph: 021 278 2052, E: cecilie@swimming.org.nz

Wellington

Porirua City Council

Contact: Phil Waggott Ph: 04 237 1370, E: pmwaggott@hotmail.com

Swimming New Zealand

Contact: Lauren McLellan. Phone 021 284 3297, E:lauren@swimming.org.nz

Marlborough/Tasman

Sport Tasman

Contact: Chris Pugh Ph: 03 546 7910 E: chris.p@sporttasman.org.nz

West Coast/Canterbury

Waimakariri District Council Aquatic Facilities

Contact: Tina Brough Ph: 03 311 8905 ext 7002, E: tina.brough@wmk.govt.nz

Christchurch City Council

Contact: Kew Taggart Ph: 03 941 6902, E: kew.taggart@ccc.govt.nz

Westland Recreation Centre

Claudette Bradley, Ph: 03 744 7156, E: claudette.bradley@greydc.govt.nz

South Canterbury/Otago

Sport Otago 

Contact: Scarlett Hagen, Ph: 027 539 7558, E: shagen@sportotago.co.nz

Southland

Sport Southland

Contact: Kate McRae, Ph: 0800 111 117, E: Kate@reap.co.nz

Beach Education or Surf to School

Surf Life Saving New Zealand

For Auckland, Waikato or Northland email: education@lifesaving.org.nz 

For the rest of New Zealand email: surfeducation@surflifesaving.org.nz

Safe Boating Education

Coastguard Boating Education

Sarah Psaila Ph: 022 1978 295, safeboating@boatingeducation.org.nz 

 

For further information about Water Skills for Life, contact Felicity Fozard at Water Safety New Zealand: Felicity@watersafety.org.nz

 
 

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Children learn these skills with Water Skills For Life

Click on each link to read about what's involved with each activity.

Water safety and awareness skills
  • Recognise an emergency for yourself or others. Know who to call for help and how
  • Know, understand and respect water safety rules, hazards and risks around the home, farm and around pools
  • Know, understand and respect water safety rules, hazards and risk in natural environments such as at the beach, offshore, river or lake.
  • Know, understand and respect water safety rules, hazards and risks for water activities such as swimming, water sports and boating
  • Know how and why t make safe decisions for yourself and others
  • Know how to recognise hypothermia and how to treat it
Getting in and out of the water
  • Get in and out of the water safely in any environment.
  • Perform this sequence with a buddy watching: check the depth of the water, check that the area is safe, jump into deep water, float on back for 1 minute to control breathing, return to edge and exit
Going under the water - Submersion
  • Get under water, open eyes and control breathing
  • Pick up an object from under the water
  • Dive from a horizontal position in the water and move underwater for a slow count to five
Floating on the water - Personal Buoyancy
  • Float, then regain feet
  • Control breathing while floating on back for at least 1 minute
  • Scull head-first and/or scull feet first for at least 3 minutes
  • Tread water for at least 3 minutes in deep water
  • Perform this sequence in deep water: correctly fit a lifejacket then tread water, scull, float or a mixture for 3 minutes while controlling breathing. Then return to edge and get out of the water
  • Perform this sequence for five minutes: signal for help while treading water, sculling, floating, or a mixture, and while controlling breathing
Rolling and turning in the water - Orientation
  • Horizontal rotation (front to back and back to front)
  • Horizontal to vertical rotation and vice versa (front or back to upright and return)
  • Vertical rotation (half rotation and full rotation) around the body’s vertical axis
What to do in an emergency - Safety of self and others
  • Float and signal for help with and without a flotation aid
  • Do a reach rescue and a throw rescue with a buddy
  • Perform this sequence: correctly fit a lifejacket, do a step entry into deep water, float in the H.E.L.P. position, then with a couple of buddies or a group form a huddle, return to edge and get out
Moving through the water - Propulsion
  • Move 15m non-stop, using any form of propulsion
  • Move through the water environments of all kinds (currents, waves, depth – in situ or simulated)
  • Move 50m and/or 3 minutes non-stop, confidently and competently – using any form of propulsion on their side, front, back, or a mixture
  • Move 100m and/or 5 minutes non-stop, confidently and competently – using any form of propulsion on their side, front, back, or a mixture

 

 

Click here for the directory to contact a Water Skills for Life instructor.

 
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