No two days the same: A month in the life of an Aquatic Educator

When people think about water safety education, they often picture someone standing poolside, teaching basic swimming and survival skills. For Aquatic Educator Danika Ryland-Higgins, it looks very different.

This story is a snapshot of just one month in Danika’s life as an educator with Drowning Prevention Auckland. In that time, she might teach pool lifeguards and engineers, support refugee communities, work with rangatahi in the ocean, and visit yacht clubs and community events. Much of this happens in the water, outdoors and on the move, and almost never behind a desk.

Before joining DPA, Danika was a First Aid Instructor with New Zealand Red Cross. She has long been at home in, on and under the water as a surf lifeguard, competitive swimmer, free diver, fisher and scuba diver. That mix of skills means she is just as comfortable coaching confidence in the deep end as she is supporting people through their first ever experience of Aotearoa New Zealand’s waterways.

Early one morning you will find Danika at a pool before opening hours, running an aquatics-based first aid session for lifeguards and pool staff.

Across a focused workshop, she helps teams refresh critical skills such as CPR, using a defibrillator and responding calmly when something goes wrong in or beside the water. The goal is simple: when an emergency happens, staff feel ready, not rattled. The same principles apply in workplaces where people spend time in, on or around the water. From staff who supervise aquatic activities to teams whose work takes them near waterways, Danika helps people understand risks, recognise trouble early and respond effectively.

Another day, she might be at Wero Whitewater Park, a controlled river environment in Tāmaki Makaurau, working with a team whose job brings them close to fast-moving water.

Here, the focus is on survival and helping each other if someone ends up in the river unexpectedly. Participants learn how to stay calm and Float first, move with the water rather than fight it, and use simple rescue techniques to support teammates from the safety of the bank. It is physical, practical and eye-opening, especially for people who have not experienced cold, fast water before.

The next week, Danika may be standing in front of 84 refugees at the Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre, supported by a team of 12 translators.

Many of the people in the room have come from landlocked countries or have never been to a beach. Danika adapts her teaching style by slowing down, shortening sentences and using stories and demonstrations so that key safety messages are clear in every language. She knows this work may save lives. For people who are new to Aotearoa New Zealand, understanding rip currents, unexpected immersion and how to get back to safety can be the difference between a close call and a tragedy.

Outside of the resettlement centre, you will find her with community groups across the city in yacht clubs, faith communities, corrections facilities and more, tailoring “Be Water Safe” workshops to each audience.

Danika also spends some days supporting our team to deliver RUKU: Tau ihu in the open water with rangatahi at Te Kohuroa Mathesons Bay.

Here, water safety is woven together with connection to place and respect for te taiao. Rangatahi experience the ocean directly, learning to Float first, understand their own abilities and build confidence in, on and around the moana.

When she is not in a pool, river, classroom, or bay chances are Danika is out in the community at events and festivals such as Splashy Bikers Nature Day or Have a Throw Day, chatting with tamariki, whānau and community members at the DPA stand. It is all part of the same mission: helping more people enjoy Aotearoa New Zealand’s waters safely, for life.

We regularly hear feedback like:

“My instructor was attentive, informative, and accommodated all our needs while encouraging us to challenge ourselves.”

That balance of being supportive and stretching people just enough is at the heart of how Danika and our aquatic education team work.

If you are a workplace wanting to keep your people safe around water, or a community group keen to build water confidence and skills, our team can help.

Learn more about workplace training and book.

Explore Be Water Safe for community groups and enquire.

With Aquatic Educators like Danika on the job, one thing is for sure: even in a single month, no two days, and no two groups, are ever the same.

Do you have what it takes to be an Aquatic Educator?

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