Duval County

Experts give ways to test child’s swimming ability to avoid accidental drownings this summer

By ActionNewsJax.com News Staff
By ActionNewsJax.com News Staff

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Memorial Day is quickly approaching and summer is right around the corner.

Many families will make plans in, on or around the water. With that, YMCA lifeguards are stressing that water safety is key, especially if you have little ones.

Annually, in Florida, there are enough children under the age of five lost to drowning to fill three or four pre-school classrooms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Drownings can happen nearly anywhere with standing water. It’s important to incorporate water safety into your summer plans: swim lessons, life vests, or putting rules in place at the pool and ocean, but also retention ponds near homes.

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First Coast YMCA offers swim tests. The standard YMCA swim test includes:

  • Swimming one pool length (25 yards) unassisted and without rest. Swimmer must maintain positive body position (legs should not drop past 45 degree angle) for the entire distance.
  • Jumping into water that is over the swimmer’s head and return to the surface, then exit the pool.
  • Treading water for one minute, turn on their back, float briefly, then swim (either on front or back)

If your child does not pass the swim test or does not know how to swim — swimming lessons may be a better option.

“Living in Florida, swimming lessons are as important as having air-conditioning,” Bridgett Watts said. The mom of four has two young boys enrolled in swimming lessons at the First Coast YMCA Clay County location. “Unfortunately, due to the pandemic last year, we weren’t able to get any. So it was very important. That was like our priority this year to get them in some lessons.”

These are the three types of classes:

  • Swim Starters is a parent/child lesson that develops water enrichment and aquatic readiness in children ages 6 months to 3 years. This category focuses on developing swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences.
  • Swim Basics develops personal water safety and basic swimming skills in students of all ages.
  • Swim Strokes introduces and refines stroke technique in older students (school age, teens and adults).

“It gets them acclimated to the water,” Delraye Norris said. She serves as the Aquatics Director for the First Coast YMCA in Clay County. “They’re learning their swim skills. They’re building that stroke and development.”

Norris has been with the ‘Y’ for nine years. She said keeping a close eye on your kids is the number one way to prevent a drowning.

“Biggest thing is supervision,” Norris said. “Teaching your children, making sure that they never go swimming by themselves. They understand they need to ask for permission.”

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Here are some other ways you can test your child’s swimming ability.

TAKE THE PLUNGE

Jump into deep water from the side of the pool. Recover to a relaxed back float and swim 15′ on back. (Deep = deeper than the swimmer is tall.) This is the test I use to determine readiness to use the diving board or participate in a pool party.

SURVIVAL CHALLENGE

This challenge demonstrates a swimmer’s ability to recover after an unexpected entry into the water. Jump from the one meter diving board fully clothed in top, bottom, and shoes. Recover to a relaxed back float for a count of five. Swim to the side and exit the pool unassisted. Practice swimming in the water while clothed before performing this challenge. You’ll be surprised at how difficult it can be. We’ve nicknamed this challenge Walk the Plank.

DUMP TEST

Use to determine whether a child should be allowed to use a flotation toy. Swimmer sits on a raft or ring flotation toy that is located a minimum of 15 feet from the side of the pool. Adult tips the toy over “dumping” the swimmer into the water. The swimmer must recover to a relaxed back float for a count of five and then swim to the side and exit the pool unassisted.

DISCLAIMER: All tests should be done around an experienced swimmer, coach or lifeguard.

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