Why Rushing Wave 5 is a Problem:

Rushing your child through Wave 5 may lead to frustration as they begin swimming longer distances without the stamina to maintain proper form. Without a solid foundation in endurance and stroke efficiency, your child may struggle with more advanced skills in Wave 6, which require greater strength and coordination. The life-saving skills introduced here, such as treading water for a longer time and performing a reach rescue, require practice and precision, which cannot be rushed.

1. Swim 15 Metres Frontcrawl

Your child will swim 15 metres of frontcrawl, focusing on maintaining a streamlined body position, breathing control, and efficient arm and leg movements.

Parent Tips:

• Focus on a steady rhythm: Encourage your child to keep a consistent breathing pattern and a steady, strong kick.
• Practice smooth arm recovery: Help them achieve a smooth, continuous arm recovery to prevent them from tiring too quickly.
• Rotate the body: Teach them to rotate their body from the hips with each stroke to make breathing easier and reduce drag.

2. Swim 15 Metres Backstroke

Your child will swim 15 metres of backstroke, focusing on continuous arm recovery and strong leg kicks to maintain a streamlined position.

Parent Tips:

• Encourage long, straight arms: Help your child keep their arms extended and straight as they recover over the water.
• Eyes on the ceiling: Remind them to keep looking up at the ceiling to maintain good body alignment.
• Strong kicks: Focus on strong, consistent kicks from the hips to keep their body moving smoothly through the water.

3. Swim 10 Metres Breaststroke

Your child will swim 10 metres of breaststroke, focusing on the pull-breathe-kick-glide sequence for maximum efficiency.

Parent Tips:

• Emphasise the glide: Encourage your child to maximise the glide phase after each stroke to conserve energy and increase distance.
• Correct foot position: Make sure their feet are dorsi flexed during the kick to get the most propulsion from each movement.
• Time the breath: Help them time their breathing with the pull phase for smoother, more coordinated strokes.

4. Swim 10 Metres Butterfly

Your child will swim 10 metres of butterfly, focusing on coordinating their arm movements with dolphin kicks for smooth, efficient swimming.

Parent Tips:

• Focus on small dolphin kicks: Encourage your child to make quick, controlled dolphin kicks to build strength and rhythm.
• Keep the arms in sync: Teach them to keep their arms moving in sync with their body’s undulating motion to maintain efficiency.
• Practise in short bursts: Break the butterfly into short, controlled sprints to help build their endurance and technique without overwhelming them.

5. Perform a Reach Rescue

Your child will learn to perform a reach rescue by extending a hand or an object to someone in need of help in the water.

Parent Tips:

• Practise reach techniques: Show your child how to safely extend their hand or an object, such as a pool noodle, to someone in need.
• Stay low: Teach them to keep their body low and stable when reaching out to someone, ensuring they do not fall into the water themselves.
• Communicate: Encourage your child to talk to the person they’re helping, reassuring them while staying calm and focused.

6. Tread Water for 1 Minute While Signalling for Help

Your child will tread water for 1 minute while signalling for help, combining life-saving skills with stamina.

Parent Tips:

• Use strong leg movements: Encourage them to use strong, circular leg movements, like an eggbeater kick, to stay afloat for longer.
• Keep the arms active: Remind them to keep their arms moving in wide, controlled motions to maintain balance and control.
• Make it fun: Practise treading water as a game by counting out loud or singing a song together to keep the time.

7. Demonstrate Different Sculling Movements for 30 Seconds

Your child will demonstrate various sculling movements for 30 seconds, learning to control their position in the water by using their hands and arms.

Parent Tips:

• Small, quick hand movements: Encourage small, quick motions with their hands to move effectively through the water.
• Stay still: Help them keep their body still while sculling, focusing on hand technique to control their position.
• Practise sculling in different directions: Encourage them to try sculling headfirst, feet-first, or side-to-side to build confidence and control.

8. Perform a Forward Somersault in the Water

Your child will perform a forward somersault, learning how to rotate in the water while maintaining control and body awareness.

Parent Tips:

• Practise on land first: Help your child practise forward rolls on dry land before trying them in the water.
• Slow and steady: Encourage slow, strong, controlled movements to help them feel comfortable with the rotation.
• Stay tucked: Teach them to keep their body tucked tightly to make the roll smoother and more efficient.

9. Perform a Handstand on the Pool Floor

Your child will perform a handstand on the pool floor, developing their control and balance underwater.

Parent Tips:

• Start in shallow water: Practise handstands in shallow water where your child feels comfortable before attempting them in deeper areas.
• Use slow, controlled movements: Encourage your child to use slow, controlled movements to maintain balance underwater.
• Stay tucked: Teach your child to tuck their legs in tightly and use their hands for balance.

Wave 5 is an important stage where your child will expand their stamina and begin refining their strokes over longer distances. They’ll also start developing more advanced life-saving skills, such as treading water for extended periods and performing a reach rescue. Taking the time to master these skills will prepare them for the increased demands of Wave 6, where more complex water movements and longer distances await. It’s also a good time to talk to your child and see what their long term swimming goals are, have they thought about working towards joining a club or becoming a rookie lifeguard.