Intro
Swimming in a pool is a controlled environment, totally different to swimming in open waters. At Swim Generation, we teach over 2000 children, including babies, teenagers, and adults, each week. For many of these families, the summer holidays involve trips to the beach and open waters. As a swimming school with more than a decade of experience, we have many formally qualified lifeguards who have helped families prepare for their coastal trips. The ocean and seas deserve respect, and our summer swimming program is designed to help swimmers build confidence and stamina, understand water safety, and improve their technique. In this article, we will explain how our summer holiday program can help prepare for sea swimming, drawing on our firsthand experience and expertise.
‘Water safety is paramount at Swim Generation; it is one of the main reasons we created our swim school. Our summer programmes help to educate about water safety, improve swimming skills, build stamina, treading water and staying calm.’ Christopher Whitworth, Founder.
Why Swimming In The Sea Feels Different
Swim Generation coaches are all at least SEQ Level 2 or STA Level 2 qualified, and we also have former NPLQ (National Pool Lifeguard Qualification) holders and scuba divers with open-water experience who teach swimmers. This hands-on approach ensures our swimmers are coached by highly knowledgeable and experienced professionals with practical skills.
‘I started to work in leisure centres as a lifeguard and what made my shifts more interesting was being able to observe swimming teachers.’ Sara, Swim Generation Coach
‘After completing my degree in Physical Education at university, my first job placement was at my local swimming pool, where I worked as a lifeguard and swimming teacher.’ Deni, Swim Generation Coach.
‘I have swum and scuba-dived recreationally throughout my adult life, and passed the same love of water to my own family.’ Tracey, Swim Generation Coach
Five ways open water swimming is different:
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Temperature: Sea water around the UK is colder than in pools, which in some circumstances can cause shock. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) define cold water as anything below 15°C and explains that this is where the risk of Cold Water Shock becomes significant. For example, around the coast of southern England, the sea temperature peaks at 17℃ to 19℃ in the summer. Swim Generation lessons focus on controlled breathing, helping swimmers to stay calm and relaxed.
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Visibility: In a well-kept pool, the water is clear. In the sea, it is often murky, choppy and dark.
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Buoyancy: Salt water is denser, which improves buoyancy. However, many students report that it changes their trim in the water. Our lessons help counter this through training swimmers to use their core for positioning.
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Currents / Tides: Currents can be strong, in some circumstances, faster than a swimmer.
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No side walls: In open water, there are no walls to rest against, which is why our lessons are ideal for building stamina and treading water skills.
Signs Of Cold Water Shock <15℃:
| Body System | Effect On Body |
| Upon water entry | Sharp, strong sensation on your skin. |
| Breathing/Heart | Uncontrolled breathing, heart rate increases. |
| Muscles | Initially, loss of exterior control, such as fingers and toes becoming numb, and muscles becoming less responsive. |
| Blood | The body diverts muscles to vital organs. |
| Stamina | You become tired more quickly as energy is needed to keep your body warm. |
How We Help Master Sea Entry
Safe water entry is one of the fundamental skills that is taught at Swim Generation. From stage 1, we teach safety skills and safe water entry forms part of this curriculum. Our lessons help to build and master the necessary skills for safe water entry through both technique and confidence. Below are some of the skills and techniques we use:
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Swivel entry: This is during our foundation lessons. This can be adapted to the sea, with an emphasis on a controlled, safe entry. Such as avoiding rocks or managing uneven shorelines.
We teach that swimming is a vital life skill. Part of our curriculum focuses on staying safe around water, including pools, lakes, and the sea.
‘My four year old son was so afraid of the water and on a number of holidays wouldn’t get in the swimming pool or the sea. This changed after a swimming lesson with Swim Generation. They built my son's confidence first, then technique and a few months later he swam five metres and is now actually diving!” Rachel, Local Mum.
Five Ways Swim Generation Builds Open Water Confidence
- Build strong buoyancy skills: Essential survival skills are taught, such as floating on the front and back and treading water.
- Controlled breathing: Our programmes cover breathing control, which can help when entering cold water to prevent ‘cold shock’ or gasp.
- Deep-water practice: As swimmers progress, they gain confidence in deeper water, which is essential for open-water swimming.
- Confident swimmers: One of our objectives is to help swimmers build confidence, which is vital in the sea. It helps swimmers stay calm in unexpected situations, such as freak waves.
- Stamina: Our tailored, small class sessions help build muscle and improve cardiovascular health, as verified by the Swim England report.
‘My child went from being nervous in the water to swimming confidently. … Highly recommend to any parent!’ Małgorzata Filus, Richmond (Google Review).
Summary
Swim Generation summer holiday lessons are held in small groups and designed to improve swimming technique, skills, stamina and awareness. Our expert-led sessions quickly fill up. Contact us now to find out more or secure your spot before it is too late.