Get ready for summer with my water safety tips!

Howey the Dolphin here! At Houston Swim Club, we’re getting ready for summer! For us Houstonians, that means more time in the pools, at the splash pads, boating on the lake, and heading to Galveston beach.

That’s why I launched my Third Annual Water Safety Festival, right in time for National Learn to Swim Day! We headed to the Sugar Land Town Square on May 16 to bring the community together for water safety education, interactive presentations, CPR tips, games, prizes, and tons of kid friendly fun. The mayor even declared it the official water safety day for Sugar Land!

Buuuut, if you missed it, that’s ok! Here are some of my favorite summer water safety resources from the festival!

Be Safe on Boats

Boating safety is super important for the summer, and one of the most important rules of the open water is to wear a lifejacket! Even if you can swim. Even adults! The US Coast Guard Auxiliary shared with us that lifejackets aren’t just a good safety tool, they’re also required to wear on a boat. You can even be ticketed if you don’t wear them! And not just any lifejacket, you need to make sure you have one that fits properly and is suitable for the activity.

You can learn all about what the US Coast Guard recommends here: https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/life-jacket-wear-wearing-your-life-jacket.php But most importantly, make sure you wear it properly and use a lifejacket that’s approved by the US Coast Guard. The label will tell you if it is.

Assign a Water Watcher

We’re going to be spending a LOT of time in the water. It’s HOT here after all, so what better way to spend the summer? Most accidents involving young children actually happen at the pool where adults are present, but no one is watching. Pool parties, beach cookouts, hanging out at the lake, all the fun things we like to do. Soooo, it’s essential to assign a special WATER WATCHER to watch the water and all the swimmers in it. That’s their only job as a water watcher, so no scrolling on the phone or chatting with friends.

You can even make a water watcher tag that can be shared throughout the day so everyone knows who the water watcher is. If you go to our kids water safety website at https://kidswatersafety.org, you can even download and print your own coloring water watcher tag in the Printables section. Get crafty and make it fun!

Teach Kids Water Safety

The best way to prevent accidents is to educate! Parents and kids should all know all the basic water safety rules, like Throw, Don’t Go, and how to dial 911. Kids should also be taught how to swim and take swim lessons as early as possible. At Houston Swim Club, we start kids in swim lessons as early as 4 months old!

Parents should also familiarize themselves with how to perform CPR and basic first aid. Kids can learn all about water safety at https://kidswatersafety.org, where they can play games, do online activities, read comics and watch videos.

If you want to check out my water safety videos I made, visit our YouTube channel. I have 10 water safety rules that every kid needs to know: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLavIscB9_PGXn72VRqFu-_JRvAuPv65Ji

Well folks, that’s all for now! I hope you can join us for next year’s festival, and feel free to explore our site under Parent Tips for more ways to stay safe.

Have an amazing summer!

Written by Howey the Dolphin, Water Safety Expert, Houston Swim Club