Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

The youth group from Makaurau Marae recently completed our Kai Gathering programme which ended on a high with two open water dives at Te Kohuroa/Matheson Bay. The conditions on the day were perfect for the dive with some serious excitement levels!

Prior to reaching the coast they completed six pool sessions that are based on the 15 water competencies for drowning prevention. The students were able to draw on their existing experience from venturing out with whānau and friends to learn the essential skills, behaviours and attitudes that would keep them safe.

These included understanding shallow water blackout – knowing how to recognise if their buddy was in danger and how to respond. It was great to see them communicating with hand signals and working to keep each other safe.

After mastering some of the trickier skills like how to put on their weight belts whilst in the water, and perfecting the diving and surfacing safely, we took them on a snorkel safari! The group moved together on the course, finishing near the rocks where they were able to swim around, looking for any sea life they could find.

Like any water based activity, working in the pool to perfect the necessary competencies is important before heading out into the ocean. This programme not only teaches them the skills and behaviours but changes the attitudes and ability to assess what could go wrong and how they would respond. We know that they will be able to carry out and use everything they learnt when they are next out diving or snorkelling in the future.
Kairo Jacobs

Aquatic Educator

More Kai Gathering information

Click the link to learn more about our kai gathering workshops.

Contact: Harry Aonga – 021 111 8674 [email protected]

Other news

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

The youth group from Makaurau Marae recently completed our Kai Gathering programme which ended on a high with two open water dives at Te Kohuroa/Matheson Bay. The conditions on the day were perfect for the dive with some serious excitement levels! Prior to reaching...

Spring Research Forum 2023

WHEN 2pm, Wednesday 22 November WHERE Ponsonby Cruising Club, 141 – 151 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland RSVP to [email protected] by Thursday 16 NovemberThis year our annual research forum showcases the presentations that will be given at the World...

Spring Research Forum 2023

WHEN 2pm, Wednesday 22 November
WHERE Ponsonby Cruising Club, 141 – 151 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland
RSVP to [email protected] by Thursday 16 November
This year our annual research forum showcases the presentations that will be given at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention in Perth in early December. Our speakers will cover a range of topics focusing on water competency across ages and ethnicities, parents as first teachers of water safety, collaborative leadership and partnerships with councils.

The 29th Annual General Meeting of Water Safe Auckland trading as Drowning Prevention Auckland will take place at 4pm that day at the same venue. Please let us know in your RSVP email if you be join us for the AGM also.

See below for a full list of presenatations.

Presentations

Dr Teresa Stanley

Assisting adults to understand actual water competence

Ants Lowe

Partnering with Councils to Assess Inland Water Hazards

Harry Aonga

Water competence programmes for Asian ethnicities in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland

Nicola Keen-Biggelaar

The role of collaborative leadership in developing meaningful regional water safety and drowning prevention strategies

Lynley Stewart

Parents as First Teachers Preventing Drowning

Dr Kevin Moran

Can you get in safely? Water entry knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours

Other news

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

The youth group from Makaurau Marae recently completed our Kai Gathering programme which ended on a high with two open water dives at Te Kohuroa/Matheson Bay. The conditions on the day were perfect for the dive with some serious excitement levels! Prior to reaching...

Spring Research Forum 2023

WHEN 2pm, Wednesday 22 November WHERE Ponsonby Cruising Club, 141 – 151 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland RSVP to [email protected] by Thursday 16 NovemberThis year our annual research forum showcases the presentations that will be given at the World...

Wai Wise: Free water safety programme for Indian community

Wai Wise: Free water safety programme for Indian community

Come and try out new water activities and learn how to be safer, in on and around the water.

Wai Wise is a free, half day programme open to the Indian community (aged 15+). Participants will increase knowledge and awareness of the different and unique water environments we are surrounded by in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.

Activities include a lifejacket experience, paddleboarding, kayaking and rafting in a controlled environment at Vector Wero Whitewater Park. The park is a world class tourism destination and the only one of its kind in Aotearoa / New Zealand.

DPA’s evidence-based teaching covers the 15 Water Competencies for Drowning Prevention. These learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours we teach in all of our programmes to help prevent drowning and make sure everyone comes home safe.

Places are limited with three Saturday sessions running this summer. Be sure to sign up today or get in touch with any questions.

Key learnings

  • Understanding survival positions in lifejackets for a survival situation
  • Preparation, knowledge and understanding around open water (weather, wind, swell)
  • Paddling competence and technique
  • Safe entries and exits from land and boat

Dates

2 December 2023 – 9.30am – 1.15pm
17 February 2024 – 9.30am – 1.15pm
16 March 2024 – 9.30am – 1.15pm

Location

Vector Wero Whitewater Park

Sign up for Wai Wise

The free programme is open to the Indian community aged 15+ and is suitable for beginners.

Contact: Harry Aonga – 021 111 8674 [email protected]

Funded by Tū Manawa / Sport New Zealand.

Other news

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

The youth group from Makaurau Marae recently completed our Kai Gathering programme which ended on a high with two open water dives at Te Kohuroa/Matheson Bay. The conditions on the day were perfect for the dive with some serious excitement levels! Prior to reaching...

Spring Research Forum 2023

WHEN 2pm, Wednesday 22 November WHERE Ponsonby Cruising Club, 141 – 151 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland RSVP to [email protected] by Thursday 16 NovemberThis year our annual research forum showcases the presentations that will be given at the World...

New eLearning module for parents and caregivers of under fives

New eLearning module for parents and caregivers of under fives

Concerted efforts in education for parents and young children, together with legislation around pool fences and barriers have significantly reduced drowning in children aged under five-years. However, under-fives still comprise 6% of preventable drowning fatalities and 14% of hospitalisations between 2018- 2022. Drowning Prevention Auckland is committed to preventing future tragedies by making water safety awareness and education accessible for everyone.

The good news is we know that children are fast and keen learners – in fact, evidence shows that the ‘quickest’ age to develop your water competence is six years of age, provided they have had appropriate experiences to develop confidence and awareness.

Informed by robust, international research, DPA has released another Early Childhood eLearning module: Young Children Developing Water Competence. This free course can be done at home and is focused on parents, or caregivers building water confidence with their preschool tamariki.

Water competency education for children under five begins at home. As a parent or caregiver, you are your child’s first teacher, and you know your child better than anyone. We encourage you to make the most of everyday opportunities – like bath time and outdoor play – to develop water safety awareness in fun and meaningful ways.

What if I can’t access a pool or swimming lessons?

We know that sometimes accessing a pool is difficult because of the entry cost or cost of swimming lessons, cold weather, or you’re too far away from your nearest pool. With our new eLearning module, you can gain valuable and practical information at home at a time that suits you.

Made with parents and caregivers in mind, this new module covers three areas: “Bath and shower”, “Garden and backyard”, and “Swimming Pools” and includes guidance on all 15 water competencies, including:

  • entering and exiting the water
  • submerging
  • breath control
  • floating and moving through the water

You can read more about the 15 water competencies here.

A great head start before school

Starting this education at home is a great idea because your child will then be safer around water, as well as being more confident and ready to learn traditional swimming strokes when they start school.

While our new module is aimed at parents and caregivers, this information will also be valuable for early childhood educators.

To sum up, this course is recommended for anyone who has regular care of children under five – why not get grandparents and the rest of your whānau involved?

Check out the new module today!

After completing this free Young Children Developing Water Competence online module, you will:

• understand how to keep your under-fives safe when near water
• have ideas on ways to have fun with your young child in and around water
• know how to build you and your young child’s water competence

Other free courses available

DPA has a range of other free eLearning courses available on our website, including “Early Childhood Water Safety”. This course covers the ‘Layers of Protection’ that are essential to help keep your young children safe around bodies of water. The four layers of protection are: supervision, barriers, water competence and CPR. While this content is also aimed at parents of under-fives, the material can be used by early childhood educators. This course covers several water competencies and will help you teach your young children water competence and confidence in and around the home, around pools and spas, and in open water environments.

Visit eLearning platform

In-person opportunities to extend your knowledge and confidence

DPA continues to work alongside early childhood centres, kindergartens, schools and kura, and homebased learning services around Auckland to encourage the inclusion of water safety in the curriculum, giving both parents and children confidence around water.

What’s more, we offer free presentations and resources to parents and caregivers. If you’re interested in organising a DPA presentation for a parent group, please contact: Helen Meyrick on: [email protected]

We also offer professional learning and development for early childhood educators, as well as classroom-based water safety sessions for under-fives. Our goal is to continue making drowning prevention education as accessible, meaningful, and as much fun as possible.

Contact us for information

Other news

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

The youth group from Makaurau Marae recently completed our Kai Gathering programme which ended on a high with two open water dives at Te Kohuroa/Matheson Bay. The conditions on the day were perfect for the dive with some serious excitement levels! Prior to reaching...

Spring Research Forum 2023

WHEN 2pm, Wednesday 22 November WHERE Ponsonby Cruising Club, 141 – 151 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland RSVP to [email protected] by Thursday 16 NovemberThis year our annual research forum showcases the presentations that will be given at the World...

Manawa Makes a Splash

Manawa Makes a Splash

Manawa means heart in Te Reo Māori and “our heart” is what Manawa Harrison, 17, is to his friends and whānau.

Manawa’s journey has not been an easy one. He was diagnosed at a young age with Autism, ADHD, SPD and mild Tourette Syndrome. He had trouble focusing in school and his behaviour was often erratic.

Living in the small East Coast town of Ruatoria, (Ruatorea) near Gisborne, made access to services and professionals that could help very difficult.

After years of struggle, his father Sparks, along with some supportive medical specialists, decided it was time to stop focusing on what he “should” be doing and instead focus on what he loves to do.

For Manawa that means going hard on the self taught drums, flying through the air doing bombs, hot pools and all things water related.

And so for four school holidays in a row, Sparks and Manawa made the eight hour journey from Ruatoria to Auckland to attend the Splash Break-Away Programme run by Drowning Prevention Auckland, first in Manurewa then at West Wave in Henderson.

Sparks explains that being in the water is beneficial for Manawa’s focus, its something he enjoys and can be successful at doing.
“I spent many hours for three weeks looking at different holiday programmes around New Zealand, he’d done lots of different camps, basketball holiday programmes, but then I saw Splash.”

“He loves it. He loves the staff, he thinks they are really cool, there was no negativity and he enjoys being around the other kids. He wasn’t sure if he would like it at first but he really did. I had tears in my eyes driving back to Ruatoria listening to him talk about having such a good time.”

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“It’s something new to learn and it’s really fun, I like everything about it.”
Manawa Harrison

Sparks is also appreciative of West Wave Aquatics Centre and Diving New Zealand who made time for Manawa to do some sweet bombs from the top diving board.

“The younger kids from the Splash programme came to watch him and were like ‘wow look at him’ – he loved that.”

Being involved in water and water safety programmes have really helped build Manawa’s self confidence and he is now regularly attending school in Ruatoria as well as Tautau Village in Gisborne to help him with life skills. He has a bright future ahead of him with plans to play the drums at Wembley Stadium as well as help other children with Autism find their passions.

“Manawa wasn’t ever supposed to be able to do some of things he can do, but he is doing them.”

One Day Water Safety Programme

Our next Splash one day water safety programmes run at several facilities across Auckland in the September/October school holidays

Other news

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

The youth group from Makaurau Marae recently completed our Kai Gathering programme which ended on a high with two open water dives at Te Kohuroa/Matheson Bay. The conditions on the day were perfect for the dive with some serious excitement levels! Prior to reaching...

Spring Research Forum 2023

WHEN 2pm, Wednesday 22 November WHERE Ponsonby Cruising Club, 141 – 151 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland RSVP to [email protected] by Thursday 16 NovemberThis year our annual research forum showcases the presentations that will be given at the World...

Water Competency Sessions

Water Competency Sessions

Adult drowning rates in New Zealand are increasing.

Research has found that this is likely for a number of reasons:

  • Lack of water safety practice
  • Entrenched unsafe attitudes toward open water participation
  • Underestimation of risks in aquatic activity
  • Overly optimistic perception of capacity to cope with that risk

(Stanley & Moran, 2021)

The adult water competency pilot programme was completed in June 2022 which showed some interesting results:

  • Adults overestimated their water competence in controlled pool environment
  • Although not tested in open water during the pilot, adults perceived open water competency was likely to be overestimated
  • All participants water competency improved after education at the conclusion of the programme

(Stanley & Carmine, 2022)

Here’s what participants had to say about the programme:

I was incredibly surprised that I was able to improve weaknesses with a few simple tips from the facilitator

I was shocked to realise that there were some things that I couldn’t do after years of thinking I could do them; this was a real eye opener to figure out what I could do and how to keep myself safer in the water

Want to improve your water competency?

Take this opportunity to test yourself in the safety of the pool with instructors on hand to guide you. Can you do everything you think you can? Could you be safer in the water?

To improve your water competency, join a free session at one of the four venues that Drowning Prevention Auckland are facilitating with the support of Auckland Council. The session is one hour long, free of charge and is designed to help you discover your current level of water competency and give you tips on how to improve it.

To join this free initiative, contact one of the four sites below.

Other news

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

Kai Gathering with Te Ara a Hape

The youth group from Makaurau Marae recently completed our Kai Gathering programme which ended on a high with two open water dives at Te Kohuroa/Matheson Bay. The conditions on the day were perfect for the dive with some serious excitement levels! Prior to reaching...

Spring Research Forum 2023

WHEN 2pm, Wednesday 22 November WHERE Ponsonby Cruising Club, 141 – 151 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland RSVP to [email protected] by Thursday 16 NovemberThis year our annual research forum showcases the presentations that will be given at the World...