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.
Need more help with this?
Don’t hesitate to contact us here.