Lesson 10 – 30 minutes
Learning outcomes
- Understand the techniques of surf swimming.
- Demonstrate an ability to swim through surf, parallel to surf and back to shore.
Preparation
- Goggles (for participants if they have them)
- Swim buoys x 2.
- 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.
- Discuss the surf conditions and safety considerations before entering the water.
Coaching Points
SURF SWIMMING
- Heading out through surf – raise your head to look forward as you swim out through the surf so you can see the waves coming and know when to duck-dive the waves.
- Swimming parallel to the surf – breathe facing out to sea so you can see the waves coming.
- Returning to shore (not including bodysurfing) – find a reference point on shore to swim towards so you swim in the straightest line possible.
Discuss
- Discuss with the participants, the techniques for surf swimming.
Activity 1
- Ask the water safety personnel to set up a short swim course with the buoys situations inside the surf.
- Split the participants into groups of 5.
- Assign a water safety person to each group who will swim/paddle alongside them.
- Instruct the participants to practice these three techniques out in the surf by swimming out and around the buoys.
- Repeat this 4 times.
ASSUMED SKILLS
This lesson assumes participants have acquired previous skills from earlier awards:
- wading
- dolphin-diving and
- body surfing.
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