Self-survival skills are an important way of minimising risk to a lifesaver. These skills include your ability to use rescue equipment to provide flotation for yourself and a victim.
Floating
Learning to float on your back allows you to keep your body buoyant while conserving much-needed energy. Your personal buoyancy will depend largely on your individual body composition. People with large amounts of muscle mass and dense bones are typically less buoyant. Wearing a wetsuit will often increase your ability to float, while some forms of clothing can have the opposite effect. Flotation aids such as rescue tubes or lifejackets can assist your buoyancy.
You can float by:
- lying on your back with your body fully extended
- keeping your head in line with the rest of your body
- keeping your head, torso, upper legs and feet at the surface
- keeping your legs straight
- keeping your body in this buoyant position by doing a sculling motion with your hands.
It is important to remember that when floating, you will drift with the prevailing currents.
Treading water
Treading water is an effective method of being able to stay in one position with your head above water for extended periods of time.
You can tread water by:
- maintaining an upright body position
- using a sculling motion with your hands and kick with your feet.