Session Overview
The STA Open Water Safety Awareness Session is designed to provide participants with knowledge, understanding and practical competencies to:
- Understand and apply the Water Safety Code
- Understand and demonstrate how to keep themselves safe in, on, and around open water
- Understand and demonstrate how to help a casualty in open water.
The STA Open Water Awareness Session is designed for both children and adults. Participants aged 8 years and over may attend independently, while younger children may participate with 1:1 adult supervision in the water. There is no upper age limit.
The session is designed to be delivered in 1 hour, but it can also be delivered over a number of shorter sessions. It may be introduced into an existing curriculum or taught as part of a separate programme.
Participants should have the physical, cognitive, mental, and social readiness to take part. Suitability may depend on participant:
- Confidence and enjoyment in the water
- Understanding of water-related risks
- Ability to follow instructions and safety rules.
Instructors must be an:
- Open Water Swimming Coach
- Swimming Teacher, or
- Lifesaving Tutor.
In addition, instructors must be:
- Competent and experienced in the open water environment where the session is being delivered
- Aware of all local hazards and the dangers of the open water environment
- Have a good understanding of session content and know how to adapt it to the ability of the participants.
