How to…Swim Safely

If you love to swim indoors or outdoors, on your own, or with your friends or family.

If you sometimes feel a bit nervous about letting the kids loose in the water, or sometimes feel a little nervous yourself, then this how to guide is for you!

Never Run!

The surfaces around pools are wet and can get very slippery.  Serious injuries can (and have) happened because of people running at the side of the pool.  This is an important one to teach younger kids.

Read the Signs!

Check if there’s a lifeguard on duty, check the depth of the pool; and the dos and don’ts of each body of water you are planning to swim in.  Particularly, outdoors – If the weather is choppy, there will be a sign or flag telling you this, and any areas to avoid-if they’re rocky for example.

Dive with caution!

Some pools strictly forbid this, so make sure it is allowed before you do it.  Again, check the depth, check for obstacles in the water.  Be very careful if diving into open water, you can never be sure what lies beneath, or how deep it is.  Check for other people too.  A collision could seriously injure you or someone else.

Know your limits!

Know which strokes you are strong at, and which ones might get you into difficulty.  Don’t overdo it, listen to your body if it is getting tired. The last thing you want is a cramp in the pool, or to feel too tired to swim to shore and be stranded out at sea. Be aware that open water swimming is very different to a pool; with cold temperatures, currents, and unseen underwater hazards. Be aware and don’t be over confident.

Never swim alone!

Even competitive swimmers abide by this rule.  Use a buddy system, swim with a friend. If you are alone and suffer an injury, this can be super dangerous with no one looking out for you, help may not be on the way (dear)!

Designate a ‘water watcher’!

Ideally your water watcher will be the on-duty lifeguard, even though we are blessed with these across the UAE, they are not everywhere all the time. Especially if you have children and there is a group of you, have a water watcher, you might even schedule this so you can all take a turn being on duty, and not miss out on the fun too.

According to CEO and founder of Goldfish swim school the water watcher is someone who will “avoid cell phones, conversations, magazines, and anything else that might distract that adult from keeping an eye on swimmers at all times. Even though there are many people around, sometimes no one is actually watching the swimmers (especially the younger swimmers!)” 

Take swimming lessons!

Its never too late to learn to swim, and we would encourage swimming lessons for children as early as possible.  As well as learning the appropriate swim techniques, you will be taught how to get out of difficulties if needed, and swim safety too.

Designated Swimming only!

If you can see that a section of the pool or open water is roped off, this is for a reason.  Don’t ignore it.  There might be something lurking underneath the calm waters that you can’t see, or a strong current, or hazard.  Stick to the designated areas where you can be clearly seen.

Consider taking a First Aid Course!

There are different online and in person courses that will give you the basics of first aid.  There are even courses for young people to take, which we would highly recommend.  A quick google search will let you know what courses are available near you.  Check out the UAE Swimming Federation website and social media for upcoming courses in the future. https://uaeswimming.net/en

Stay calm!

If you do get into difficulties, we know it is hard, but try to stay as calm as possible and alert someone nearby.  If you panic, you are likely to use more energy and become exhausted, reducing your ability to stay above water.  Try to find something buoyant to hold onto to keep you afloat and search for nearby help.

Swimming is fun and a great source of exercise.  But safety must come first wherever water is concerned.