Staying Water Safe This Summer: Essential Tips for the Whole Family

Keeping Water Confidence at the Heart of Summer Safety

As part of our ongoing support for the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s (RLSS) Drowning Prevention Week, we are helping families understand the importance of staying safe in and around water.

Summer is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy swimming pools, beaches, lakes and other waterways, but every water environment comes with its own risks. Building water confidence, understanding safety advice and knowing what to do in an emergency can help everyone enjoy the water safely.

Water safety is not just about learning to swim. It is about developing the skills, awareness and confidence needed to make safer choices around water.

Essential Water Safety Tips for Families

Whether you are visiting a pool, heading to the beach or spending time near open water, these simple steps can make a big difference:

• Always keep children within arm’s reach and maintain constant adult supervision around water, even if they can swim.

• Teach children that water can be unpredictable and encourage them to ask permission before entering the water.

• At beaches, always check local safety signs, swim in designated areas where possible and follow advice from lifeguards.

• Avoid swimming in unsupervised open water, including quarries, reservoirs and unfamiliar lakes. These environments can have hidden dangers such as cold temperatures, strong currents and sudden changes in depth.

• Encourage everyone in the family to understand basic water safety skills, including how to float and how to call for help.

What To Do If Someone Gets Into Trouble

Knowing how to respond in an emergency can help prevent a difficult situation from becoming worse.

If you find yourself struggling in the water, remember the RLSS “Float to Live” advice:

• Lean back in the water.

• Extend your arms and legs to help you stay afloat.

• Gently move your hands and feet to help maintain your position.

• Control your breathing and focus on staying calm.

If someone else is in trouble, do not jump into the water to rescue them. Even strong swimmers can quickly find themselves in danger when dealing with an emergency in open water.

Instead:

• Call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard if you are near the sea, or the Fire and Rescue Service if you are near inland water.

• Encourage the person in trouble to float and stay calm.

• Look for something that can be thrown or reached towards them, such as a floatation aid, rope or a long object.

Build Lifelong Water Safety Skills

The best foundation for water safety is developing strong swimming skills and confidence from an early age. Structured swimming lessons help children and adults learn essential techniques, improve awareness and feel more comfortable in the water.

This summer, make water safety part of your family’s routine. With the right knowledge, preparation and support, everyone can enjoy the water with greater confidence.