To mention some water safety issues we all need to know?

[Northernlurker]

Having read of some awful tragedies over the weekend with open water I thought I would start a thread with a few points and others can add. Because not everybody has had the same exposure to open water risks so what is common sense to one person is utterly unknown to others.

Open water in the UK is cold. Really cold. Even on sunny days. The deeper you go, the colder. This can take even fit and well people by surprise.

Don't jump in to unknown water ever. We are a rocky country populated by messy people. Water hides rocks, logs, metal and all manner of hazards.

Piers and jetty lead out from the shore to deep water so boats can be accessed. Don't regard them as an extension of the shore. The water will be both deep and cold.

Swim parallel to the shore, not out to sea.

No inflatables in the sea ever.

Tides move faster than you can walk, know what your exit route is.

If you can't swim, don't go out of your depth. Don't try and help people in trouble. You help just as much by fetching help or fetching items people in the water can hold on to.

Make sure your teenagers know these principles.

And remember 'float to live'

@SwanShaped

Lie on your back, lift your chin upwards so that your head is tilted back and push your tummy up. Arms and legs should be in a star. Sometimes the legs will start to sink, but if you lift your head up at that point you will quickly end upright. You can also circle your wrists in the water to create a bit more bouyancy if needed or kick your legs a little if they start to sink. It will still conserve more energy than trying to actually swim.

@Hugoslavia thank you! I’m gonna practice next time I’m in water. Maybe where I’ve been going wrong is that I look at my feet? And watch them sink. I’ll try looking right back instead. I always thought it was coz I’ve got skinny legs

@HeronLanyon

Good thread op. Often swim in the sea. Last week overheard group of 20 somethings climbing up off a beach saying ‘that sandbank has gone I don’t know why’. Internally thought because it only Appears on this beach at low tide (and a low low). I never go anywhere without tide timetable. It struck me they actually didn’t I ow what tides were in even the most basic way ! They had just spent time on remote no lifeguard rip tide wild atlantic beach ffs !

@HeronLanyon that is me. I didn't have the foggiest clue about tides having never spent time near open waters. I moved to a coastal city and one of my colleagues at work had to explain tides in and out and I googled it. I still get confused as per is the tide in or out. I didn't even know that you're supposed to swim parallel to the shore so thanks to everyone that pointed that out.

Also thanks for talking about life guarded beaches. I just found out that only one of the beaches I frequent have a lifeguard.

Due to covid my 5 and 8 year old swimming lessons have been stopped (DH teaches them informally) and every time we go to the beach I'm running after the 5 year old as he has no fear while his brother is the opposite.

Thanks to @Northernlurker for starting this thread, very informative.

Re paddling in lakes, especially non-swimmers, you need to be aware of shelves/ sudden drops.
There's a bench next to Ullswater in the Lake District, dedicated to three young lads who drowned. I believe one of them went in the water up to about knee height, unknowingly stepped off a shelf, and the water was nearly 20ft deep after the shelf, his two friends drowned trying to save him.

someone mentioned ethnicity up thread, another poster said it was in bad taste. It is a problem and needs to be addressed. Not one child of colour could swim from DS's class in year 4, 12 kids. Most had never been in a pool or the sea.

5% of black adults and 80% of black children do not swim in England.
1 in 4 children who complete their primary education are unable to swim. According to the WHO, the risk of drowning is higher amongst minority ethnic communities.

thebsa.co.uk

@NotMyCat

To add quarries are really really deep and bloody cold. And reservoirs often have metal/wire/stuff under the surface (it's a phobia of mine!) The most I would do is paddle in a shallow river/stream or swim in something like a waterfall pool that's shallow and I know well (you can see the bottom as it's so clear and no random drops)

Waterfalls are incredibly dangerous. Really turbulent water underneath.

I have swum in plenty of lakes. But only in lakes where swimming is normal.

'float to live' > not currently got chance to read the whole thread, but saw this and wanted to reiterate it. If I'm wrong please someone correct me.

I'm assuming it relates to the advice if you find yourself struggling in cold water. That is, don't panic and try to fight against it; instead lie on your back and float like a starfish, ie arms and legs spread out. Hopefully someone will be around to throw you a lifeline.

DS is a sea cadet. This time of year they are encouraged to jump into the Norfolk Broads. He was surprised at the currents even when rowing.

It's a great organisation, he has learnt so much with them.

I recently went swimming in a river for the first time. I took a pool noodle just in case and my friend walked along the bank watching for safety. I started shallow and waded out. It was a gentle river with hardly a current and is a spot renowned for safe swimming. A river swimming club operates there. I was extremely cautious despite seeing others swimming in it. Apart from this one short area, I have no idea about where else is safe to swim or kayak and also how to get in or out of the water. I found it tough choosing a good spot to exit the river as the banks were so steep. I didn't think about the latter until I was in and had swum enough and suddenly wanted to get out. I want to do more kayaking etc as a family, but this thread and the recent deaths does worry me.

Such an important topic! Well done for raising it.

My DS has been having lessons since he was 5 months when lockdown lifted. I want him to be more confident in the water than I am.

@DdraigGoch of course - I'm referring to one specifically I know well! It's less torrential waterfall and more lazy trickle but the water is so clear and it's all level too hidden lovely spot
I'm basically a total wimp with things underneath anyway so if I can't see the bottom I'm not going in
I wouldn't ever go in a reservoir or quarry or fishery if you paid me

I've been reminded last year we went to Bewl Water, it was a hot day, lots of parents letting their small kids (at a guess 8 and under) wade out to waist height unaccompanied. Clearly with no thought as to any possible sudden dips in depth. Made me feel ill.

Rule for my kids was paddle only where you can see the bottom. I have let them swim in the sea but only abroad where the waters were super clear, and making sure they were never out of their depth.

@SwanShaped that is what most people do. When their feet start to sink they immediately put their head up to look at their feet. I'm trying to teach my five year old (who has been having lessons). She can float pretty well if she just relaxes and doesn't over react when her legs start to sink. It really helps to relax (and have a bit of fat on you).

@WiddlinDiddlin

I really wish people (and by that I mean authorities as well as just normal people) would not spread lies.

These lies about 'all water outside in the UK is barely above freezing' which I hear repeated so often I've lost count - it isn't true, the river temps near me this last week have been over 19C, thats a LONG way off freezing and it's higher in still water with full sun on it, much much higher.

What is true is that water will sit in layers of different temperatures and if you dive into water even if you have acclimated to the surface layers, in some places you can dive into some pretty cold water. Still no where near freezing of course.

Then theres the bullshit discussed about mysterious currents and undertows and whirlpools in lakes and quarries that fill from rainwater or springs and have no such things.

Might as well discuss monsters and man eating prehistoric creatures too...

What these lies do is switch peoples brains OFF to the truth. Tell people lies that they can easily determine for themselves are lies, and they are not going to believe anything else you say either.

If we educated people on some simple stuff to stay safe in the water, things like checking entry and exit points, swim with a friend, acclimate slowly, swim within your physical capabilities, build up swim fitness gradually, don't dive into water you don't know VERY well... we'd save a lot more lives than the posters telling lies to frighten people into not swimming.

We have excellent models for safer outdoor swimming from much of europe and also canada - why on earth can't we follow it.

Thank god someone talking some sense! Millions of people will swim in the sea, lakes and rivers this summer. Sadly a handful have died but the answer is not to fear water but have some education. Please don't let this hysteria get out of hand.

@Hollyhead

I am very fearful of any open water, and I’m really strict with the dc. Is it safer to paddle in the sea when the tide is going out so you don’t get caught in deeper water?

Not always. I always swim on an incoming tide personally. Just get to know the water where you are and what is safest for that particular body of water.

This is the video of the baby saving itself which I mentioned earlier. Fascinating to watch.

@Jobseeker19

My son age 10 has never had swimming lessons in school.

I think that is shocking. His school are raising generations of children who cannot swim.

Actually you and all the other parents are raising a generation of children that can't swim! Either teach him yourself or get him lessons, it is not the schools fault he can't swim!!

Your attitude is what is shocking.

Needs to start in schools and then in workplaces. People think they're invincible.

Be interested to know how Aussie's educate on this.

I'd definitely say that buoyancy aids need to be used with care. Years ago we took DDs swimming and we wanted DD1 (SN) to be very safe. She was lighter than the lowest weight limit for the smallest float vest, but we thought it was better than nothing and we could just tighten the straps. As soon as she got beyond thigh high in the water, her bum tipped in the air and her face tipped into the water and she couldn't right herself at all, as the polystyrene bars in the vest floated on top of the water and she wasn't heavy enough to push them down. We were next to her, so DH pulled her up by the shoulders and the vest came straight off. We bought some arm bands instead, but she could have drowned.

If you're interested in outdoor swimming the have a read of the Outdoor Swimming website. Lots of calm, rational advice. www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/understanding-reservoirs/

Swimming is really underfunded in this country I think.

My childhood: swimming once a week in school from age 7. We'd all walk there, get taught the basic strokes and then get badges for lengths etc.
By high school, you'd meet your mates and bob about in the pool for hours in the school holidays.

My kids' childhood:
Free family swim on Sundays for a couple of years. Swimming pool cold as fuck; kids turning blue, but packed.
Then it stopped.
No swimming in school until yr 5, and then a 5 week course.
Very few spots of general public swims.
If you can't afford lessons, what do you do? Most kids I know started lessons at 4 and continued until level 6 or whatever.

This first pic probably looks really inviting in summer. I've lost count of how many people have died in there. It's about 35-40ft deep and icy cold

Second pic is like the waterfall I've been in, a natural pool that's pretty shallow, no random currents, you can see the bottom, there's easy access and exits etc and you can paddle at the edge or just sit and dangle your feet

I think as well a lot of people get in, then don't think about getting out and how easy it will be if they're cold/tired

Needs to start in schools and then in workplaces. People think they're invincible

No it does not. If my work starting talking about water safety to me I'd think they were insane.
What about some personal responsibility? LEarn to swim, teach your kids to swim, follow the simple and basic rules that are available to discover within 5 seconds on Google....
IT IS NOT EVERYONE ELSE''S JOB TO SAVE YOU FROM YOURSELF.

@RampantIvy my DP is regularly called out to the areas you mentioned to drag people out of rivers etc. The kit he wears is so heavy that I'm forever worrying he won't make it out (especially as the people he pulls out are usually twice his weight).

I don't think it crosses these swimmers minds about other people. Not only the emergency services, but the large amount of people each year that jump in to help strangers and never make it out themselves.

As you said, there were large amounts of emergency service vehicles there. Where my DP works they are on their arses at the mo from lack of staff (Covid etc) and having such a large presence really does stop them attending car crashes, house fires etc.

On a similar note, they are regularly sent to patrol a local area where swimming is not banned, despite not being sent to patrol places that do have warnings in place

Dh does open water swimming. He does it at a designated time, with lots of other people. He wears a wetsuit and a float.

He won't swim in the seas near us and would never do it without knowing it was a designated swimming lake.