Swim, float and the rip rule
Ready when: nothing, this is the first card.
What you are learning
Being safe in water before any surfing: swimming 50 metres, floating calmly on the back, treading water, and the rip rule. A rip is a current that pulls out to sea; you do not fight it, you swim along the beach or float and wave for help.
Words on this card Rip, Flags
- Rip
- A strong current flowing out to sea.
- Flags
- The flags mark the safest area to swim and surf, watched by a lifeguard.
Show it first for the one teaching
- Lie back with the ears under the water, tummy up, breathing slowly: a float.
- Upright in deep water, move the hands in small flat circles and kick gently: treading water.
- Say the rip rule aloud and show the "wave for help" signal: one arm up, waving.
Your part while they practise
Watch from the side; ask the rip questions afterwards.
Step by step
- Swim 50 m.
- Float on the back, ears under, breathing slowly, for 30 seconds.
- Tread water for 30 seconds.
- Say the rip rule: do not fight it, wade or swim along the beach, float and wave if tired.
How much: 4 tasks 15 min a session once a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Float and call
Float on the back for as long as you can, then wave and shout as if calling a lifeguard.
Who plays: the child against their own best; you time.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Swim 50 m
- Float on the back, timed
- At the end, wave one arm and shout "help" clearly
- Then answer 3 rip questions
- Fair play
- A grown-up floats with the arms by the sides.
- Points
- 1 point for every 10 seconds of float; 2 points for the swim; 1 point for each rip answer right.
- Fouls
- No points for that task
- Holding the side or the lane rope
- Standing on the bottom during the float
- "swim straight back to the beach" as the rip answer
- Winning
- Beat your best score.
- 6 points for 1 star
- 9 points for 2 stars
- 12 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Shorter swims.
200 m in under 5 minutes and a 2-minute float.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child panics
Ears in, breathe slow, float
Calm first. - they want to swim to shore in a rip
Swim along the beach first
Sideways, then in.
Self-check
50 m swim, a 30-second float and the rip rule said back.
Stop and get a coach when
The child is not at ease in water.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains water safety.
awiseathlete.com/sports/surfing/surfing-b1