The SwimSafer 2.0 program is a nationally recognised program that aims to teach swimming proficiency and water survival skills to children while minimising drowning incidences. There are six stages in the program. The six-stage program includes survival and activity skills taught at each stage of the program, and work progressively towards the next stage. Upon completion of each stages, each child will receive a stage completion e-certificate.
SwimSafer is a national water safety programme in Singapore introduced in July 2010 by the National Water Safety Council (NWSC), a council appointed by the then Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports (MCYS). The SwimSafer programme consists of six progressive stages. Survival and activity skills are taught in each stage of the programme, working progressively toward the next stage.
At the end of each stage, each child will receive a stage completion e-certificate. SwimSafer was enhanced in 2018 to equip participants with a more rigorous water survival and swimming competency skills. SwimSafer 2.0 programme comes with a revised syllabus and assessment, and enhanced instructor capabilities through training and re-certification to provide quality learning experience. The programme aims to teach swimming proficiency and water survival skills to children to minimize drowning incidences in a fun manner. These skills are necessary in view that more than 60% of drowning incidences in Singapore (from 2005 to 2008) occurred in open waters, such as the seas, rivers and reservoirs. The SwimSafer 2.0 programme consists of the following categories:
Entries and Exits
Sculling and Body Orientation
Underwater Skills
Movement/Swimming/Strokes
Survival Skills
Rescue Skills
Knowledge
SWIMSAFER 2.0 STAGES SUMMARY
Stage 1 : Introduction to Water Skills The objective is develop confidence and independence in the water, learn general and deep-end water safety. Techniques taught include the forward and backward movement, safe entry and exit and personal water safety. Stage 2: Fundamental Water Skills General skill development including unassisted step entry into water, sculling, feet first surface dives, personal water safety skills as well as water safety in aquatic environments. One of the goals is to achieve 25 metres of continuous swimming. Stage 3 : Personal & Stroke Development Skills Entry skills such as the stride jump will be taught. Skills include sculling, underwater skills and putting on a personal flotation device (PFD) whilst in water and swimming with it. One of the goals is to achieve 50 metres of continuous swimming. Stage 4 (Bronze): Personal Survival & Stroke Improvement Skills Development of student’s stroke techniques is a focus here, along with coordinated breathing in deep water. This stage sees the introduction of throw rescues and more personal survival skills. One of the goals is to achieve 100 metres of a variety of strokes. Stage 5 (Silver): Intermediate Personal Survival & Stroke Refinement Skills Fundamentals of diving will be introduced. Development of personal survival knowledge will continue with a situational context of swimming quickly away from a sinking boat. Students will be required to demonstrate efficient stroke techniques by swimming a variety of strokes over 200 metres within a given time frame. Stage 6 (Gold): Advance Personal Survival & Swimming Skill Proficiency Students will be required to perform a variety of strokes with efficiency over 400 metres within a given time frame for each stroke. Personal survival skills like making use of clothing to make a personal floatation device and swimming with them, putting on a life jacket in water and demonstrating the Heat Escape Lessening Posture (H.E.L.P) technique will be taught.
SWIMSAFER 2.0 OVERVIEW SWIMSAFER 2.0 - STAGE 1
The objective is develop confidence and independence in the water, learn general and deep-end water safety. Techniques taught include the forward and backward movement, safe entry and exit and personal water safety.
Entries & Exits |
Slide-in entry Exit using ladder and from the pool edge |
Sculling & Body Orientation |
Front float (mushroom or jellyfish), 5 seconds, recover to a standing position Back float, 5 seconds, recover to a standing position |
Underwater Skills |
Submerge in waist-deep (student’s) water, open eyes and blow bubbles |
Movement/Swimming/Strokes |
Movement on front 10m (alternating arms & legs and/or simultaneous arms and legs) Movement on back 5m (alternating arms & legs and/or simultaneous arms and legs) |
Survival & Activity skills |
Signal distress and call for help Grasp a floatation aid and float with it for 10 seconds Then move (with the float) to the pool’s edge and Exit safely from water Dressed in swimwear, shorts and t-shirt demonstrate: Correctly fit a PFD, jump into the water, float for 30 seconds and then climb out of deep-water |
Rescue Skills |
nil |
Knowledge |
Personal Safety & Survival Awareness. Environmental Awareness. Health Awareness. Emergency Situations and Survival Techniques. Rescues and Self-Preservation. |
SWIMSAFER 2.0 - STAGE 2
General skill development including unassisted step entry into water, sculling, feet first surface dives, personal water safety skills as well as water safety in aquatic environments. One of the goals is to achieve 25 meters of continuous swimming.
Entries & Exits |
Perform a step-in entry |
Sculling & Body Orientation |
Front float (mushroom or jellyfish), 10 sec. Swim 5m on front, roll over. Back float, 10 sec. Swim 5m on back. Scull, float or tread water for 30 sec. |
Underwater Skills |
Search for and recover an object in chest deep (student’s) water Demonstrate a feet-first surface dive in chest deep water |
Movement/Swimming/Strokes |
Movement on front 25m – front crawl or breaststroke Movement on back 15m – backstroke or survival backstroke |
Survival & Activity skills |
Scull, float or tread water for 30 seconds Dressed in swimwear, shorts and t-shirt demonstrate: 1. Swim 15m using any survival stroke 2. Swim to pool edge and climb out Then, Put on an appropriately sized PFD and jump into the water (at least 1.4m deep), swim 25m with PFD, then climb out of the water |
Rescue Skills |
nil |
Knowledge |
Personal Safety & Survival Awareness. Environmental Awareness. Health Awareness. Emergency Situations and Survival Techniques. Rescues and Self-Preservation. |
SWIMSAFER 2.0 - STAGE 3
Entry skills such as the stride jump will be taught. Skills include sculling, underwater skills and putting on a personal flotation device (PFD) whilst in water and swimming with it. One of the goals is to achieve 50 metres of continuous swimming.
Entries & Exits |
Perform a stride/straddle entry |
Sculling & Body Orientation |
Scull head first on the back, 5 m Scull, float or tread water for 50 sec (incorporated in survival & Activity Skills) |
Underwater Skills |
Swim through hoops on pool bottom for 2 m |
Movement/Swimming/Strokes |
Swim 50 m continuously 25 m Front-Crawl and 25 m Backstroke. Swim 25 m Breaststroke and 25 m Survival Backstroke (performed in Sequence in 3A) |
Survival & Activity skills |
Scull, float or tread water for 50 sec Dressed in swimwear, shorts and t-shirt demonstrate: 1. Swim 25 m using survival backstroke or survival breaststroke to a PFD 2. Correctly fit a PFD in water, swim 50m with PFD, then climb out of the water |
Rescue Skills |
nil |
Knowledge |
Personal Safety & Survival Awareness. Environmental Awareness. Health Awareness. Emergency Situations and Survival Techniques. Rescues and Self-Preservation. |
SWIMSAFER 2.0 - STAGE 4 (BRONZE)
Development of student’s stroke techniques is a focus here, along with coordinated breathing in deep water. This stage sees the introduction of throw rescues and more personal survival skills. One of the goals is to achieve 100 meters of a variety of strokes.
Entries & Exits |
Enter water using a compact jump |
Sculling & Body Orientation |
Demonstrate a forward somersault in the water. Scull, float or tread water for 2 minutes (incorporated in Survival & Activity Skills) |
Underwater Skills |
In at least 1.4m deep water, perform feet-first surface dive, swim through hoops on pool bottom for 2m |
Movement/Swimming/Strokes |
Swim 100 m continuously 25 m Front Crawl 25 m Backstroke 25 m Breaststroke 25 m Survival Backstroke |
Survival & Activity skills |
Scull, float or tread water for 2 minutes Dressed in swimwear, shorts and t-shirt demonstrate: 1. 3 minutes swimming slowly using survival backstroke, sidestroke and survival breaststroke, changing every 15 m 2. Wave and call for help 3. Retrieve a flotation aid thrown by a 'rescuer'(2 m away) and kick to the side of the pool and exit |
Rescue Skills |
Throw a floatation aid to a partner 2m away and instruct the partner to kick to the edge |
Knowledge |
Personal Safety & Survival Awareness. Environmental Awareness. Health Awareness. Emergency Situations and Survival Techniques. Rescues and Self-Preservation. |
SWIMSAFER 2.0 - STAGE 5 (SILVER)
Fundamentals of diving will be introduced. Development of personal survival knowledge will continue with a situational context of swimming quickly away from a sinking boat. Students will be required to demonstrate efficient stroke techniques by swimming a variety of strokes over 200 metres within a given time frame.
Entries & Exits |
Demonstrate a dive entry (crouching) |
Sculling & Body Orientation |
Demonstrate a backward somersault in the water Scull, float or tread whilst putting on a PFD in water (incorporated in Survival & Activity Skills) |
Underwater Skills |
In at least 1.4m deep water, perform feet-first surface dive, swim through hoops on pool bottom for 3m |
Movement/Swimming/Strokes |
Swim 50m Front Crawl (1:30 minutes) 50m Breaststroke (1:50 minutes) 50m Backstroke (1:40 minutes) 50m Survival Backstroke 25m Sidestroke Dolphin Kick 10m on front |
Survival & Activity skills |
Dressed in swimwear, long pants and t-shirt demonstrate the following sequence: 1. Enter deep water using a straddle jump 2. Perform a backward somersault 3. Submerge feet first surface dive, 4. Swim through hoops on pool bottom for 3 m and resurface 5. Swim 45m quickly using front crawl 6. Wave and call for help (rescuer to throw PFD) 7. Retrieve a PFD in water and fit it while treading water 8. Demonstrate Heat Escape Lessening Posture (H.E.L.P.) technique for 30 sec 9. Then swim 25m with PFD and climb out of the water |
Rescue Skills |
Throw a PFD to a partner 3m away and instruct the partner to kick to the edge |
Knowledge |
Personal Safety & Survival Awareness. Environmental Awareness. Health Awareness. Emergency Situations and Survival Techniques. Rescues and Self-Preservation. |
SWIMSAFER 2.0 - STAGE 6 (GOLD)
Students will be required to perform a variety of strokes with efficiency over 400 metres within a given time frame for each stroke. Personal survival skills like making use of clothing to make a personal flotation device and swimming with them, putting on a life jacket in water and demonstrating the Heat Escape Lessening Posture (H.E.L.P) technique will be taught.
Entries & Exits |
Demonstrate a standing dive |
Sculling & Body Orientation |
Scull, float or tread for whilst making a self-made float within 5 min (incorporated in Survival & Activity Skills) |
Underwater Skills |
In at least 1.8 m deep water, perform head-first surface dive (tuck or pike) and perform ear equalisation, if necessary and swim through hoops on pool bottom for 5 m |
Movement/Swimming/Strokes |
Swim 100 m Front Crawl (within 3:00 minutes) 100 m Breaststroke (within 4:00 minutes) 100 m Backstroke (within 3:20 minutes) 50 m Survival Backstroke 50 m Sidestroke 15 m Butterfly |
Survival & Activity skills |
Dressed in swimwear, long pants, t-shirt, perform the following sequence: 1. Enter deep water using a compact jump 2. Perform a head-first surface dive to a depth of at least 1.8 m (and perform ear equalisation, if necessary) 3. Swim through hoops on pool bottom for 5 m and resurface 4. Swim 45 m quickly using front crawl 5. Then, swim slowly for a further 50 m using any preferred survival swim stroke 6. Remove pants in deep water and make a float with it while treading water within 5 min 7. Demonstrate Heat Escape Lessening Posture (H.E.L.P.) technique with the self-made float for 1 min 8. Then swim 25 m with the self-made float and climb out of the water |
Rescue Skills |
Nil |
Knowledge |
Personal Safety & Survival Awareness. Environmental Awareness. Health Awareness. Emergency Situations and Survival Techniques. Rescues and Self-Preservation |