Swim to Survive® is different than swimming lessons - and not a replacement for them. Swim to Survive® teaches the necessary skills to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. Meeting the Canadian Swim to Survive® Standard is an important first step to being safe around water.
Basic swimming ability is a requirement of any meaningful attempt to eliminate drowning in Canada. Swim to Survive® defines the minimum swim skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep water. Because most drownings occur close to safety and most victims had no intention of going into the water, Swim to Survive® focuses on basic survival skills performed as a sequence of three skills:
Swim to Survive Standard
Essential Water Survival Skills
Task
Orient oneself at the surface after an unexpected entry
Roll into deep water
Support oneself at the surface
Tread water for 1 minute
Swim to safety
Swim 50 metres
Practice Swim to Survive Today!
Roll into Deep Water:
Tread Water:
Swim for 50 Metres:
Easy as 1-2-3!
All Canadians deserve the chance to learn basic swim and survival skills.
No specialized certification is required to deliver our Swim to Survive® program Anybody can learn and anyone from a school, camp, community organization or aquatic facility can teach the program.
Candidate recognition materials are available such as a Swim to Survive certificate, posters, wristbands and stickers. Please check out the Public Service Announcement and Swim to Survive videos posted on the Lifesaving Society Ontario Branch YouTube Channel.
This program can be delivered at any community waterfront or pool, and is a great option for short-form lessons. For more information on how to bring the Swim to Survive® program to your community please contact the Society.
Swim to Survive® Resources
The Swim to Survive® Program offers a variety of support materials including stickers, certificates, wristbands, and an Activity Guide.
The Swim to Survive Activity Guide provides you with the information to facilitate the Swim to Survive® experience. It includes everything you need to teach Swim to Survive® at a pool or waterfront to all ages. The Guide includes: Swim to Survive® messages, teaching concepts, and lesson plans for Swim to Survive® Activities for delivering the program to participants.
All participants should receive a Swim to Survive® certificate.
To order the support materials, or hard copies of any program material, please visit our online shop!
Swim to Survive+
Swim to Survive+ provides pre-teens with practice lifesaving skills to prepare them for real-life situations that may arise from their increasing independence from adult supervision. Swim to Survive+ candidates are challenged with performing skills while wearing clothing in water; helping a friend in deep water without endangering themselves and are introduced to basic physical fitness concepts:
Swim to Survive+
Essential Water Survival Skills
Task
Orient oneself at the surface after an unexpected entry
Roll into deep water with clothes on
Support oneself at the surface
Tread water for 1 minute with clothes on
Swim to safety
Swim 50 m with clothes on
Fitness swim
Swim 4x10-15 m with 15-30 second rest intervals and pulse checks with clothes on
Assists
From land call for help and encourage the 'victim' to kick
From land call for help, encourage the 'victim' to kick and extend an aid
From land, call for help, encourage the 'victim' to kick while throwing a buoyant aid
Swim to Survive for Affiliates
Swim to Survive® can meet even the tightest time frames and budgets. Use Swim to Survive® for:
Basic survival training for every family member;
Meeting educational curriculum requirements;
Workplace safety training;
Youth group recreational and training needs;
Screening for outdoor activities such as canoeing and boating; and
Programming at your community pool.
Dr. Stephen Beerman, President of the International Life Saving Federation (ILS) encourages community groups to provide Swim to Survive skills to all children.
ILS research findings from around the world offer clear evidence that teaching the survival swimming skills taught in Swim to Survive decreases drowning, reducing the mortality and morbidity from aquatic disasters by 50%.
