Water games are the most dangerous recreation a community offers, because drowning is quick and often silent, so assign a watcher whose only job is watching, pair every swimmer with a buddy, and ban breath-holding contests and diving into water of unchecked depth. If someone is in trouble, reach or throw something to them instead of swimming out. Check the water for sewage and algae before anyone swims.
Swimming races, relays and ball games in rivers, lakes or ponds, with the rules that keep a drowning from happening.
Why Water Needs Its Own Rules
The parent article lists swimming races, relays, water polo with a stuffed ball, diving competitions and swimming lessons disguised as games. These are good recreation and also the games most likely to kill.
Drowning does not look like the splashing and calling people expect. A person in difficulty often cannot call out, is upright in the water with arms pressing down, and can go under quickly. This is widely taught by water-rescue organisations; I recall it rather than cite a specific figure. Children and weak swimmers are at the highest risk.
Rules That Matter
- A dedicated watcher. One adult whose only task is watching the water, standing where the whole area is visible. If they are chatting, cooking or playing, nobody is watching.
- Buddies. Each swimmer has a partner and they check on each other at set intervals.
- No breath-hold contests. Holding the breath after rapid deep breathing can cause blackout underwater with no warning; this is a recognised cause of drowning in competitive breath-hold swimmers. Ban contests of “who can stay under longest” or “how far under water”.
- No diving into unchecked water. Wade in and measure the depth first. A dive into shallow water can break the neck. Never dive at an unfamiliar place.
- No alcohol or intoxicants before water play.
- Reach or throw, don’t go. To help a swimmer in trouble, reach with a pole or branch, or throw a rope, float or a buoyant object. Swimming out to a panicking person puts you at risk. This rescue order is standard teaching; I recall it and do not cite a specific source.
- Know the water. Currents, cold and weed kill. Check for a current by dropping a stick in; if it moves fast, stay out.
- Know the cold. Cold water can incapacitate quickly even strong swimmers. See Heat, Cold, Water for cold-water signs.
Water Quality
Swimming water can carry the infections that unsafe drinking water does. Do not swim where sewage, livestock waste or latrine runoff enters; avoid water with a scum or blue-green film, which may be algae that can poison swimmers and pets. Avoid swallowing the water. See Water Safety.
Games That Work
- Swimming races and relays, over short distances, close to shore.
- Float and throw games, where a team throws a stuffed ball in shallow water.
- Wading games, such as tag in knee-deep water, for non-swimmers.
- Teaching: keep lessons in shallow water with the watcher present.
Water polo with a stuffed ball involves dunking and grabbing, which is a drowning risk; I would not play it without strong swimmers and a safety swimmer.
What You Need
- A watcher with a pole, rope or float within reach
- Marked limits — a safe area with known depth
- First aid and knowledge of rescue breathing; see CPR Technique, whose rescue-breathing section says breaths matter especially for drowning
- Dry warm clothing for after
Method: Running A Swim Session
Step 1: Check the water: depth, current, cold, quality.
Step 2: Assign the watcher and buddies and brief everyone.
Step 3: Count heads at the start and at set intervals.
Step 4: Stop at the first sign of cold, weakness or storm.
Step 5: Dry and warm everyone afterwards.
Common Mistakes
- Treating a watcher as optional. One careless minute is enough.
- Letting stronger swimmers wander off. They get tired too.
- Letting children play unwatched. Supervise them closely.
- Trusting a calm surface. Currents and cold are invisible.
Safety
Drowning, spinal injury and cold shock
Drowning kills quickly and quietly; never allow water play without a dedicated watcher. Shallow-water dives, breath-hold contests and swimming alone are the leading avoidable causes. A person pulled from the water who is not breathing needs rescue breaths as well as chest compressions. Cold water incapacitates; get people out before they shiver hard.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Water Safety — water quality and infection
- Combine with: Organizing Community Sport — assigning the safety roles