To not let DS12 go to a waterpark with friends

Let him go. This is not open water swimming in fact it’s hardly swimming at all. It will be fun and a good bonding experience.

Your OP implied an unsupervised trip with friends. A scouts trip is completely different. Let them know his exact swimming capabilities and ask how they will be safeguarding the weaker swimmers. You will probably find they have already considered this in the risk assessment and have built in something like weaker swimmers don’t go in the deep end or that an adult is stationed in specific spots where the children may have more issues. As long as you have highlighted his abilities and they have explained the supervision plan to you, this sounds a perfect trip to build up his water confidence and for him to have a parent free water park trip. Don’t project your anxiety onto him.

Your title is incredibly misleading - he’s 12, can swim two lengths of a pool and will be with a scout group in a supervised, indoor swimming pool environment - of course he should go!

Going on a scout trip is pretty different from "going to a waterpark with friends". Flag your concerns to the scout leaders and I expect they'll keep an extra close eye on him. They'll likely have decent ratios for an event like this and there will certainly be a rush assessment. To a waterpark with no adults - I'd agree with you. On a trip organised by scouts - this is unhelpful anxiety.

You're projecting your own fears onto ds. As a result he's missing out on an activity his friends will enjoy. 12 isn't a baby. Give him a chance!

Ask to see the risk assessment?
let’s the scout leader know your concerns before committing?
Also, in those types of ‘leisure’ swimming pools, he should be able to touch the floor at all times?
my 5yr old can!

Not at waterparks!

I see no reason he cant go and him having to sayI can't go as my mum has anxiety is not fair on him'

OP it would be a shame for him if you say no. He can swim! Water parks don’t involve swimming length after length. It’s going down slides and splashing about with friends. A scout trip sounds really safe and fun to me.

Water parks generally don’t have deep water - the slides come out into water a few inches deep in most cases. Mention to the scout leaders that your boys confidence hugely outweighs their ability and they’ll keep an eye on him. As said it will be heavily risk assessed and well supervised

A 12 year old going to a swimming pool which will be full of life guards, with adult supervision, who can swim?

Of course he'll be fine

He can swim. He won’t need to swim long distances in a water park
It will be supervised: pool lifeguards and scout leaders.
He is 12, not a small child.

You have anxieties and specific anxieties. Not fair that those anxieties should limit your Ds’s life.

He’ll be fine on the slides. Our local water park does have a deep bit to go through then a lazy river which wouldn’t be suitable for a stage 4 swimmer but the shallow bits and all the rides would be fine. I guess it depends on the set up of it.

Scouts don’t take parent volunteers just like that, do they? Surely they’d need to be vetted?

I have to say I felt the supervision of kids by our local scout leaders to be poor. No doubt it depends on the people involved though and varies from place to place.

Just make sure the leaders know he can swim far or confidently. He will be fine. He's unlikely to be the only one who can't swim and they will have lots of people watching. Also is the water park even going to have deep water? Like at our local fun pool, the big slides actually go into water I could stand up in at 5f2. I can stand in the entire fun pool in fact.

Does he get much practice between lessons? That could be what he needs to get better.

But i still think you should let him go.

It’s a water park aimed at teenagers and families having fun - I’m not sure you need all that much strength and stamina really…

I voted YANBU at first, but changed it once I saw they are not actually unsupervised. I think being able to swim lengths is stamina enough in this situation.

Op seriously your over thinking this.
A lazy river is never that deep he'll be not able to stand in it.
He swims lengths which is enough to get him out the wave pool.

I'm guessing you are Scotland and Stage 4 swimming is the top level so a lot higher level than it is in England - Swim England goes up to about stage 10.

BTW if I'm guessing correctly you're in Scotland you need a PVG to even help out with one session.

Your OP implied he was going without an adult. Then you say it's a Scouts trip! Of course he will be fine. They won't be holding his hand and hovering over him but i would hope you wouldn't either at his age. They will however be watching the group and be there is anything goes wrong. Along with the large number of staff and lifeguards who usually whistle at the slightest risky behaviour. Let the kid go have some fun.

i don’t know about stages in swimming but if he’s swimming lengths and it’s a scout group, I would allow it

Why not volunteer as a helper for the trip that way you have some control over it and it will make you feel better. I understand your fears, a good compromise is to attend as a helper and keep an eye out.