Swimming

feature_sflAs Canada’s lifeguarding expert and leader in education and training to prevent drownings and water related injuries, the Lifesaving Society is please to present its swimming program: Swim for Life.

Based on the internationally recognized Swim to Survive standard, the Society’s Swim for Life program focuses on basic survival skills and fun from day one! It teaches the essential skills necessary to survive a sudden, unexpected fall into deep water. Swim for Life starts by developing strong foundational skills and essential personal self-rescue skills, then continues on by challenging swimmers to develop effective swimming strokes.

You can spot good swimmers right away. They’re the ones who know how to swim and behave safely around water. The Lifesaving Society’s Swim Program makes sure your kids are Water Smart before they get in too deep. You’re never too young to start, and never too old to learn. Our Swim for Life Program offers different strokes for different folks – of all ages and abilities.

The best place to learn to swim is in the water. That’s why our Swim for Life Program stresses lots of in-water practice to develop solid swimming strokes and skills. We incorporate valuable Water Smart® education that uses hands-on, fun and active teaching activities, lessons that will last a lifetime.


The Swim to Survive Standard

With all the water in Canada, minimum swimming ability is a required life skill for survival. Learning to swim is the most immediate and effective way to prevent drowning and water-related injury.

Simple, straight-forward and focused, the Canadian Swim to Survive Standard defines the essential minimum skills required to survive an unexpected fall into water and forms the basis for the Lifesaving Society’s Swim for Life swimming program.

The Swim to Survive Standard has received international attention and significant interest from injury prevention experts in Europe, Australia and in the United States.

Swim to Survive Standard

  • Roll into water – Orient yourself at the surface after
  • Tread water for 1 minute – Support yourself at the surface and get your bearings
  • Swim for 50 metres – Using any method of propulsion, swim to safety

The Ontario Branch of the Lifesaving Society put together this 3-minute introduction to the Society’s National Swim to Survive standard – the minimum skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into water.

Check out more Swim to Survive videos, including 30-second versions and translations into French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Hindi, Tamil, and Portuguese

Making the Switch: Davidson adopts Lifesaving Society Swim Program

(From the Davidson Leader, Saskatchewan) — “Swimming lessons will be offered under a new program this summer. Last Tuesday, Davidson town council agreed with recreation director Trevor Ouellette’s recommendation the town switch from the current Red Cross program to the Lifesaving Society (LSS) Swim for Life program.”

Why’d they switch? Read the rest of the article to learn how easy it is to run the Lifesaving Society’s Swim for Life program!


Swim for Life Levels