Aquatic Survival Skills Trust
The Aquatic Survival Skills Trust provide water safety education in primary schools. Teaching skills and providing knowledge so children feel confident and stay safer in and around water, whether they're in a pool, on a boat, at the beach, or by a river.
Classroom Learning
Our team introduces essential water safety concepts in the classroom, including how to assess risk, recognise hazards, and respond in an emergency.
Pool Sessions
Tamariki take part in practical lessons in the water, where they learn survival techniques like floating, safe entry and exit, and helping others in trouble.
Life Scenarios
We teach children how to apply their new skills in different environments, such as rivers, lakes, beaches and pools, so they can stay safe, wherever they are.
Aquatic Survival Starts With You!
Every child deserves the skills to stay safe in and around water. We’re committed to providing effective water safety education that makes a real difference with free, practical water safety lessons to primary schools across the Bay of Plenty. Our experienced educators work alongside schools to teach tamariki how to assess risk, make safe choices, and respond confidently in real-life situations. By starting early and focusing on practical, hands-on learning, we’re helping to build a generation of confident, capable survivors who respect the water and know how to navigate it safely.
Empowering Children, Saving Lives
Aquatic Survival Skills is a practical programme that helps Year 5 and 6 students learn how to stay safe in and around water. Our experienced educators deliver the lessons with support from classroom teachers, using real-life scenarios to build confidence and water safety skills. Created in partnership with Swimming New Zealand, the programme gives tamariki the knowledge they need to enjoy rivers, lakes, beaches, and pools safely and responsibly.
World Drowning Prevention Day
Friday 25 July
Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children, but it’s preventable. World Drowning Prevention Day is a global reminder that education saves lives and we all have a role to play. Join us at Baywave on Friday 25 July from 4–8pm for a community event focused on water safety and awareness. Wear blue, and learn about the importance of aquatic survival skills.
Led by the Aquatic Survival Skills Trust, this programme relies on community support to continue delivering free, hands-on water safety education to primary schools across the Bay of Plenty. With your help, we can reach more tamariki and provide the life-saving knowledge they need to stay safer in and around water.
Your donation makes a real difference.
"The Aquatic Skills For Life Program was brilliant. The instructors were knowledgeable and great at sharing the potentially life saving information with the class. The water session were especially fun and informative, the children learnt how to scull, float on their back, how to make a huddle when in the water and how to safely call for help. I highly recommend all young people in the Bay to participate in the course as the information they will learn could potentially save their own, or someone they know, life one day".
Waldorf Primary School
"My children recently completed a water safety course, and it was an excellent experience. The program offered a great balance of learning and hands-on practical skills that will be invaluable if they ever find themselves in trouble in or around water. The instructors delivered a well-thought-out presentation and made sure to involve all the children, keeping them engaged and making the learning process fun and memorable. I highly recommend this course to other parents".
Homeschool Delivery
Aquatic Survival Lessons In Primary Schools & Pools
The impact of a good aquatic survival program on drowning prevention cannot be overstated. By educating and equipping children with water safety skills, these programs save lives. They create a generation of individuals who are knowledgeable about water risks, act responsibly around water, and can make a difference in reducing drowning incidents in their communities.
Book Your School in Today!
Help your students gain the skills they need to stay safer in and around water with Aquatic Survival Skills. Delivered by experienced educators across the Bay of Plenty, the booking is free and curriculum-aligned for Year 5 and 6 students.
