Lesson 6 – 30 minutes
Learning outcomes
- Attempt or perform wading and dolphin diving
Preparation
- Water Safety Personnel (1:5)
IMPORTANT
- If you are not confident coaching the skills in this lesson, bring in a surf sports athlete or coach to help
deliver the lesson
Coaching Points
WADING
- Swing legs out and away from midline of body
- Maintain a high knees/thighs action to clear water
- Arms swing wide for balance and to drive legs
- Stance should be upright, not leaning forward
Activity 1
- Line participants up on the sand (if you have a large group, then create smaller lines behind each other).
- Ask participants to walk, lifting knees high and swinging arms high to shoulder level.
- Repeat this skill in ankle-deep water.
- Move back to the sand and ask participants to walk, lifting knees high and swinging ankles out to the side of body.
- Repeat this skill in ankle-deep water.
- Repeat this skill in just below knee-deep water
Activity 2
- Practice wading skills in relays – moving along the water’s edge – in and out of the water, not going
beyond knee-deep water
Coaching Points
DOLPHIN DIVING
- Commence when water is too deep to wade.
- Dive forward and into the water with arms together and out-stretched.
- Angle dive 45 degrees towards the bottom and dig hands into sand to prevent being dragged backwards by wave.
- Bring legs/feet forward to where hands are and drive/spring 45 degrees forward and upwards with
hands/arms outstretched ready to repeat dolphin dive.
Demonstrate
- Discuss with children the need to protect their heads when diving underwater.
- Ask them to practice by putting their head between their arms as their arms are outstretched in front
of them
Activity 3
- Take the participants to waist-deep water and line up facing parallel to beach
- Ask them to get into the “arms out/dolphin diving” position.
- On your call, they should practice one dolphin dive returning to their feet
- Repeat this until they are confident and competent in dolphin diving
Activity 4
- Set up a relay where the participants will have to wade out and dolphin dive around water safety personnel before returning to shore to tag their teammate.
Post your comment on this topic.