Aquatic Survival Skills

Did your child pick up an Aquatic Survival Skills Trust colouring competition entry at our World Drowning Prevention Day event? We loved seeing so many tamariki getting creative while learning about water safety, and now it's time to get those entries in.

There is still time to submit your completed colouring competition artwork, with the final call for entries next Friday 21st August. Simply send us a photo and make sure your child's name, age and contact details are included so we can get in touch with our winners.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Baywave and helped make World Drowning Prevention Day such a fantastic community event. Let's keep the conversation going, keep learning and keep sharing the skills that help us stay safer in and around water.

Together, we can help prevent drowning. 💙

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Baywave on Saturday to recognise World Drowning Prevention Day.

It was inspiring to see so many families, businesses and community members wearing blue and coming together to learn from our local water safety experts.

To everyone who stopped by to chat with our team, asked questions, shared their experiences or came along to show support, thank you. You've helped raise awareness on the importance of water safety education in our community.

Our commitment to water safety education continues every day as we work year round to equip tamariki and whānau across the Bay of Plenty with the skills and confidence to stay safer in and around water.

Let's keep the conversation going. Talk with your whānau about water safety, practise & encourage others to learn.

Water safety education saves lives. Together, we can help prevent drowning.

Today, we’re going blue for World Drowning Prevention Day.

Drowning is preventable, yet hundreds of thousands of people lose their lives to drowning every year around the world.

This year’s World Health Organisation theme is Unite to Turn the Tide, reminding us that we all have a role to play in preventing drowning.

From learning essential water safety skills, to active supervision and knowing what to do in an emergency, every action can make a difference. Come to Baywave today between 11am - 3pm to meet water safety experts.

Drowning prevention is at the heart of everything we do. Today, we’re proud to stand together with communities around the world to raise awareness and help keep people safer in and around water.

Anyone can drown. No one should.

Meet the education team behind Aquatic Survival Skills Trust and keep an eye out for Blake, Kent and Zac at Baywave tomorrow for World Drowning Prevention Day.

They'll be there throughout the day, ready to chat all things water safety. You might recognise them from one of our school programmes, working with tamariki in the pool & classroom, or from one of the many community events they've been part of across the Bay of Plenty. Every day, they're helping children and whānau build the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to stay safer in and around water.

World Drowning Prevention Day is all about starting conversations, sharing knowledge and reminding each other that water safety education saves lives. Come and say hello tomorrow at Baywave, from 11am to 3pm.

As our educator Zac puts it,

"Aquatic survival starts with every one of us. Drowning prevention isn't just the responsibility of emergency services or educators. It's something every parent, grandparent, teacher, employer and community member can influence. Small actions and good decisions save lives."

Together, we can help prevent drowning.

We’re ready, are you?!

Join us at Baywave this Saturday as we recognise World Drowning Prevention Day and raise awareness that drowning is preventable. Anyone can drown, no one should! Learn some tips on the day around how to keep yourself and others safe around water. 💦

Bring your whānau along to get amongst interactive activities, educational displays and conversations with local water safety experts between 11am and 3pm.

The people wearing blue on arrival will receive a free blue slushy voucher from reception with their pool entry. Together, we can help prevent drowning.

Every conversation about water safety matters.

New Zealand's latest drowning report reminds us sadly, that while progress is being made, there is still work to do. In 2025, 78 people lost their lives to drowning, and more than half of those incidents involved people who were alone highlighting the importance of education, preparation and making safe decisions around water.

As Bay of Plenty locals, we are incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful beaches, rivers, lakes and pools. Endless opportunities for recreation that require respect, knowledge and confidence.

At Aquatic Survival Skills Trust, we see the impact of water safety education every day through our work in schools, pools and communities across the region. By equipping tamariki and whānau with practical aquatic survival skills, we can help build lifelong confidence in and around water.

This Saturday July 25th, join us at Baywave as we come together to recognise World Drowning Prevention Day and learn how small actions and informed decisions can help prevent drowning.

You can read the latest drowning report and learn more about the challenges facing Aotearoa New Zealand: https://www.watersafetynz.org/drowning-insights/latest-drowning-report

Together, we can help prevent drowning.

We're proudly leading Bay of Plenty's World Drowning Prevention Day Campaign.

We believe that every child and every family deserves the knowledge and confidence to stay safer around water. Through practical education, community partnerships and awareness initiatives like World Drowning Prevention Day, we're working towards a future where everyone can enjoy our beaches, rivers, lakes and pools safely.

Together with our supporters, schools, businesses and community organisations, we're helping create a culture where water safety is part of everyday life. Together, we can help prevent drowning.

Supporting World Drowning Prevention Day is simple, meaningful, and an opportunity to start important conversations about water safety.

Drowning prevention starts with awareness, education and the decisions we make every day around water. Understanding risks, building confidence and knowing how to respond in an emergency can make all the difference.

As the Bay of Plenty's dedicated water safety education charity, Aquatic Survival Skills Trust works year round to equip tamariki and whānau with the skills and confidence to stay safer in and around water. The World Health Organisation recognises that preventing drowning relies on communities, organisations and individuals working together. Around the world, increased education and awareness are helping to reduce drowning rates, proving that these conversations matter.

Through our work in schools, pools and communities across the Bay of Plenty, we're helping to build lifelong water confidence and empower people with practical skills that could one day save a life.

Together, we can help prevent drowning.

World Drowning Prevention Day this year on Saturday 25 July, where communities around the world come together to recognise World Drowning Prevention Day, a global campaign that raises awareness of drowning as a preventable cause of death and encourages simple actions that can save lives.

Again this year, Aquatic Survival Skills Trust is proud to lead the Bay of Plenty's regional campaign, bringing together schools, businesses, community groups and whānau to help spread life saving water safety messages throughout our region.

By wearing blue, sharing water safety messages, downloading our free resources or joining us at Baywave, every action helps create safer communities around water.

Together, We Can Help Prevent Drowning

Information about the event: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DBekXVm4X/Join

This Sunday we will be at Children’s Day from 10am, with engaging water safety activations.

Our team is so excited to be part of this incredible event in the city, so bring the whole whanau, see you there!