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It’s a terrifying thing to think about – your baby falling into the water in the exact moment your attention has been redirected elsewhere. According to the CDC, fatal drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death (behind motor vehicle accidents) for children between the ages of 1 and 14.

With statistics such as that, it’s no wonder parents are searching for ways to protect their infants from drowning. Many parents are turning to survival type swim lesson programs, which may be doing more harm than good.

What is Survival Swim Training?

Simply put, survival type training, as opposed to child centered training, is a technique used to teach babies and children. It teaches the swimmer to float on his back if he suddenly finds himself emerged. To most parents, this sounds like a great skill for a child to have, and we agree. However, the techniques used to teach this skill has prompted significant controversy and, in our opinions, can cause unnecessary trauma to the child.

Ultimately, these types of lessons teach by simulating drowning scenarios with the intention that the child will learn to float on his back. For very short durations over 5-10 consecutive days, babies are continually submerged under the surface, either being released so they go under on their own or pushed under by the instructor. The instructor then manipulates the baby’s body to flip over and float, with the intention that the reaction will become a learned behavior.

Why Are Survival Type Swim Lessons Bad for My Baby?

In survival type classes, babies are repeatedly submerged underwater while their parents look on from outside the pool. Babies cry and scream, unable to understand what is happening. The concept is that over time, the babies will learn to flip themselves over and float. In the process, they inhale water, panic, and often develop a lifelong fear of water.

During these types of classes, lessons need to periodically be put on hold so babies can burp and spit-up the water and air they have inhaled. While the child screams out, parents are instructed to cheer for the baby and not offer help. After lessons conclude, babies lay on their left side for a period of time to help them get the remaining water and air out of their lungs and stomach. While babies are enrolled in survival type classes, parents are required to carefully track the child’s urination and bowel movements for signs of hyponatremia or water intoxication. Additionally, parents watch for vomiting, unusual exhaustion, coughing, and trouble breathing, which could be signs of dry drowning or secondary drowning.

Aside from what we see as physical dangers associated with survival type classes, we recognize the emotional impact classes have on babies. The trauma of survival type classes often leads to a fear of the water and distrust of swim instructors, teachers, and even the parent that watches from the side of the pool.

The Premier Aquatic Services Difference

At Premier, we understand the importance of baby swim lessons which are based on a child centered learning environment. Our early childhood swim classes are designed to teach children the five essential swimming skills every child should know while nurturing a love of the water. In our early childhood swim classes, parents are in the water with their children, providing a safe atmosphere and productive learning environment. We teach children essential lifesaving skills and develop proper swimming techniques.

Many of our older students have come to Premier with a fear of the water developed in survival type classes. They are able to turn and float, as learned in their survival type classes, but they are unable to actually swim. The certified swim instructors at Premier Aquatic Services are trained to teach students of all ages and abilities to develop skills, overcome fears, and increase their self-confidence in a fun, productive, and most importantly, loving environment. To learn more about our swim lesson programs and register family for winter and spring classes, visit our aquatic services page.

For more tips on reducing the risk of childhood drowning, visit our two-part blog series. For more information on water safety, follow us on Facebook.

Drowning can happen in as little as 60 seconds. According to the Orange County Fire Authority, drowning “is the leading cause of accidental injury and death in children under the age of five and the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 14.”

The Safer 3 Water Safety Foundation is an organization dedicated to saving lives across the nation through drowning prevention and water safety education. They have created a year-round educational campaign aimed at developing:

• Safer Water
• Safer Kids
• Safer Response

Premier Aquatic Services is proud to be a partner of the Safer 3 Water Safety Foundation, and each of our team members is passionate about the Safer 3 vision: to create a world without drowning.

Safer Water

It’s easy to forget that bodies of water (and the subsequent risk associated with it) surround us all the time. Especially in Southern California where many homes have year-round access to pools and spas, it’s essential for adults to take the time to identify where there are water risks and learn how to reduce the danger. Most adults forget seemingly innocuous bodies of water, such as bathtubs.

By teaching each of our community members to install barriers, including isolation fences around backyard pools, we can reduce the chances that a child will access the water without supervision.

Safer Kids

As with everything in life, families who take the time to learn essential skills and develop action plans will be better prepared to deal with risk. In an effort to promote water safety among children and parents, the Safer 3 Water Safety Foundation advocates Safer Kids in two major ways:

1. Stressing the importance of constant responsible supervision by adults while near a body of water.
2. Arming children with swimming skills attained through ongoing instruction by qualified swim instructors.

All of Premier Aquatic Services’ swim classes are aimed at teaching children how to keep themselves safe in and around the water. Whether it is early childhood swim lessons or summertime swim teams, our primary concerns are safety and skill building.

Safer Response

Regardless of all the preparation and preventative measures, emergencies can happen without warning. Through the Safer Response initiative, the Safer 3 Water Safety Foundation teaches the community how to deal with emergency situations without putting themselves at unnecessary risk and unintentionally making situations worse. Some of the Safer Response water safety tips include:

• Learning CPR and First Aid
• Having a phone by the pool at all times
• Maintaining rescue equipment, such as life saving rings and poles
• Teaching all family members what to do in an emergency

Many people don’t realize that a common, instinctual reaction when faced with a water emergency is to jump in after the person who is in trouble. Safer Response works to replace those reactions with effective responses such as using rescue equipment, alerting lifeguards, and calling for help.

Consult Your Community Safer 3 Partner

Through first aid training, water safety classes, and swim lesson programs, Premier Aquatic Services is dedicated to providing our local community with the skills they need to be safer in and around the water. However, a vital component of the Safer 3 is education. The experts at Premier Aquatic Services visit schools, youth conferences, and other events to speak with children and educators about water risks, safety, and drowning prevention.

Contact us to book a Safer 3 presentation for your classroom or youth group.