Drowning Prevention Week 15-22nd June 2024

This week, we see the beginning of the annual Drowning Prevention Week campaign, and to support the Royal Life Saving Society’s aim of reducing the number of drowning and near drowning instances in the UK, we’re cutting all our learn to swim product prices by 15%! Your child can safely learn all the valuable life saving skills needed when splashing about in and near the water at a lower the cost, just use code DPW24 at checkout to redeem. (see below for full T&Cs).

Does my child need to learn to swim?

Simple answer, YES! Over 700 people drown in the UK and Ireland every year and many more suffer injury, some life changing, through near-drowning experience.

According to the Royal Life Saving Society, the organisation behind Drowning Prevention Week “More people die from drowning in the UK and Ireland than from domestic fires or cycling accidents”

You can help protect your child against drowning by teaching them to swim; either by taking them to the pool and teaching them these vital life skills yourself or by taking them to organised swimming lessons. Learning to swim is the best preventative against drowning.

How to stay safe around the water

Stop and think. Look for the dangers and always read the signs

Is there a life guard on duty? Is the environment safe to swim in? Is the environment easily accessible if you need to get help? If the answer is no to any of these questions, just stop and think if this is the best and safest place for you and your family to swim in.

Stay together

There is truth to the saying ‘safety in numbers’, the more of you there are, the more eyes can be watching for dangers and the safer your family will be. It only takes a few seconds for someone, adult or child, to go from happily splashing about to finding themselves struggling. Stay together and stay aware.

Stay calm and get help

If you ever find yourself or your family in trouble when in the water, the most important thing to do is stay calm. Simply float, don’t waste valuable energy thrashing about and struggling against the water, we all have a level of natural buoyancy in our bodies that can keep us above water. Simply float, and reassess how to safely get yourself out of the water.

Call for help 

Call 999 or 112 in emergencies and always shout for help so others are aware that there is someone in need of help.

How can I help prevent my child from drowning?

The best way to prevent your child from drowning is to make sure they can swim strongly and confidently.

Here are some very simple ways in how you can help your child become water safe:

Take them to swim classes as early as possible.

There are hundreds of swim schools in the UK that offer fantastic swim classes for babies and children. Babies can start swimming as early as you like (contrary to popular belief, they do not have to wait until they have had all of their injections) and the earlier they start, the more confident they become from an early age. Leisure centres and swimming pools also offer lessons for older children and adults, so it is never too late to learn.

Swim as a family

Don’t stop swimming after lessons, taking your child swimming can not only build their water confidence and strengthen their swimming skills but it can also build yours too. We have an entire range of swimwear to help make taking babies, toddlers and children to the pool much easier; from our swim school approved Happy Nappy swim nappy range to our pool and changing products that ease changing room tantrums and can get your baby warm, clean and dry in no time, including our comfortable Changing Mats and luxuriously cosy After Swim Onesies.

Use buoyancy aids to build and strengthen confidence.

Young children who cannot swim, can often feel scared in the water. Our range of adjustable buoyancy Floatsuits are designed to support your child when in the water by holding them in the correct position for swimming. Floats can gradually be removed until your child can swim confidently unaided. All of our buoyancy products are currently 15% OFF when using the code DPW24 at checkout.

Be aware and understand the water code

Stop and think, stay together, float and always call for help (999/112)

The RLSS do an amazing job at keeping everyone safe in and around the water. For more information on how you can keep your family safe or to support the RLSS go to https://rlss.org.uk

*Terms and conditions; 15% off buoyancy products DPW24 code: only valid on learn to swim products. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. UK delivery only. Offer ends at midnight 23/06/24