The majority of people who drown had no intention of going into the water. For swimmers and non-swimmers alike, immersion is sudden, unexpected and often silent. For this reason, the Society believes that in Canada’s water rich environment, basic swimming and the ability to survive is a required life skill.
The Swim to Survive and Swim to Survive+ programs were developed as survival skills training programs based on drowning research and the Ontario Coroner’s recommendation for programs to help elementary school children learn basic swimming and water safety skills. Swim to Survive is not a replacement for swimming lessons, and no previous swimming experience or skill is needed to participate.
Click to learn more about the School Grant Program / Programme Scolaire.
Swim to survive
The Society defined the minimum skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep water as a skill sequence known as the Canadian Swim to Survive standard:
- ROLL into deep water to simulate a fall, the orient yourself at the surface
- TREAD water for one minute to support yourself at the surface as you locate the nearest point of safety
- SWIM 50 metres to the nearest point of safety
Swim to Survive is aimed primarily at children, but people of all ages should be able to perform the Society's Swim to Survive standard.
Swim to Survive +
Swim to Survive+ builds on the skills taught in Swim to Survive.
The Swim to Survive+ program was originally created for pre-teens and youth based on research that shows that the thrill- and pleasure-seeking parts of the teenage brain develop at a faster rate than their judgment and inhibition skills. As pre-teens and teens get older, they become more independent and spend more time with their friends unsupervised. This means youth are more likely to make choices that put them in danger, including increasing their risk of drowning.
The Swim to Survive+ program is also an excellent choice for young adults and adults who are learning to swim or don’t know how to swim but spend a lot of time near the water or on a boat. The program builds on the Swim to Survive standard and introduces techniques for self-rescue and the safe rescue of others.
Note: You do not need to have participated in or completed the Swim to Survive program to participate in the Swim to Survive+ program.
The Swim to Survive+ program teaches participants:
- how to ROLL, TREAD and SWIM WITH CLOTHES ON to better similate a fall into water
- how to use TALK, REACH, THROW to help a friend in deep water without putting themselves in danger.
- basic physical fitness concepts through interval training and a fitness swim.
Swim to Survive+ is geared toward presenting real-life situations for children in Grade 7.
How to participate
Reach out directly to your local aquatic facility or recreation program to ask how you or your family and friends can participate in learning and completing these essential water safety skills.
Sponsors
We offer a sincere thanks to our Swim to Survive and Swim to Survive+ sponsors who continue to support this program. Our goal is that all children in Ontario schools have access to Swim to Survive and Swim to Survive+ free of charge, and our sponsors help make this possible.
Stephanie Gaetz KEEP SAFE Foundation
The Stephanie Gaetz KEEP SAFE foundation is the Founding Sponsor of both Swim to Survive and Swim to Survive+. The Swim to Survive program was launched in 2006. The Swim to Survive+ program was launched in 2012. The Foundation’s support enabled the Society to develop and print the required supporting materials for both programs while enabling students to participate.
Ontario Ministry of Education
We are grateful to the Ministry of Education for their longstanding and generous support and financial contribution of the Swim to Survive and Swim to Survive+ School Grant Program.
Pool People Limited
PPL Aquatic Fitness & Spa Group is one of Canada’s largest swimming pool companies specializing in the design, construction, equipping and servicing of commercial pool and fitness facilities. The Society thanks them for their continued support
Generous Individual and Community Donations
The aquatics community is the best. Many municipalities, organizations and community groups fundraise and donate to this program. It makes a huge difference. If you'd like to donate as well,
click here. We thank you for your generous support.