New research has begun at the University of Otago that aims to reduce the number of open-water drownings in New Zealand.
University of Otago School of Physical Education sport and exercise science lecturer and research team leader Associate Prof Chris Button said many learn-to-swim programmes focused heavily on teaching children swimming techniques, but he believed the important skills needed to survive in open waters were possibly being overlooked.
‘‘We wish to address the question of how much direct teaching of survival skills is necessary in swimming lessons, to improve the water survival competency of children in aquatic environments.
‘‘The relative risk of drowning involves far more than just whether someone can swim, yet many learn-to-swim programmes focus heavily on swimming proficiency, potentially at the expense of acquiring other important survival skills.''
He said the research would measure the effectiveness of a survival skills-focused teaching programme upon children's behaviour around water, their understanding of risk, and their swimming ability.
About 250 Dunedin children, aged 7 to 11, were participating in the research, which was being conducted at Otago Boys' High School pool.
Prof Button said there would be several phases of testing. The first would be conducted over the next few weeks and would involve a test of what skills the children already have.
‘‘We're looking to find out what kind of competencies children aged 7-11 actually have - are they able to tread water competently, can they dive under the water to retrieve an object - those sorts of skills.''
During May and June, the children would then be taught some survival skills, such as how to tread water for up to five minutes, swim while fully clothed, getting a life jacket on and off while in the water, and how to perform a throw rescue.
‘‘We're also looking to simulate some of the open-water conditions they might experience if they were out in the harbour, or at the beach.''
That would involve the children swimming through fake seaweed, and in storm conditions with rain and big waves, to simulate an open-water environment, he said.
Further phases of testing would be done in July and November to see how much they had retained of what they had learned.
A full report on the research findings would be published early next year, he said.
The study findings and implications would be disseminated among the water safety sector to help efforts to reduce drowning in New Zealand.
‘‘The younger you get them learning these skills, the better it is in terms of their survival prospects if they get into trouble.''
Water Safety New Zealand was releasing a series of competencies that children were expected to achieve before going to secondary school, he said.
The research aimed to find the most effective way to teach those skills.
