Aquatic Survival Skills

What if one of the world's leading causes of death for children was largely preventable?

Every year, around 300,000 people lose their lives to drowning worldwide with more than half under the age of 30!! Many are children, and this is such an incredibly sad statistic to stomach, so for us, we want to see that drowning prevention gets the attention it deserves.

Water safety education saves lives, together we can help prevent drowning. On 25 July, communities around the world will come together to recognise World Drowning Prevention Day and raise awareness about the simple actions that can save lives.

Follow along as we share stories, facts, and practical water safety knowledge leading up to World Drowning Prevention Day 2026.

Learn more about the global campaign here: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drowning

Did you know confidence in the water is built over time?

At Aquatic Survival Skills Trust, we work alongside schools and communities to help tamariki develop practical skills that could one day save a life.

We believe learning to survive in the water is just as important as learning to swim 💙

Did you know confidence in the water is built over time? At Aquatic Survival Skills Trust, we work alongside schools and communities to help tamariki develop practical skills that could one day save a life. We believe learning to survive in the water is just as important as learning to swim 💙 #WaterSafetyEducation #WaterSafetyBOP #AquaticSurvivalSkills

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!

Our HQ office signage has gone up, featuring our new branding thanks to .nz & .co.nz 💦

We’re excited to be at the Tauranga Moana Manu Champs this Saturday. Come and visit our Aquatic Survival Skills tent where we will have fun activities, giveaways, and a chance to learn essential water safety skills.

Our team will be there all day to chat, connect, and support families in building confidence in and around water. See you there!!

“The Tauranga Moana Manu Champs continues to be a celebration of our local talent, culture, and competitive spirit. It’s more than a summer event, it’s a chance for our community to come together, showcase their skills, make the most of our upgraded waterfront.” - Rod Taylor, Te Papa Ward Councillor

Ka pai team! These tamariki are putting their water safety knowledge into action. Our educators work alongside teachers and primary schools to deliver fun, hands-on lessons that teach practical survival skills children can use in real-life situations. Small steps for big confidence. That’s what aquatic survival is all about!

A massive shoutout to Z Energy for bringing Good in the Hood to our community! We are honoured to have been a part of this campaign along with many amazing people who, like us, do good in our hood! Thank you to everyone who voted for us, we look forward to providing more water safety and drowning prevention education throughout BOP primary schools!

A massive thanks to our awesome Te Puke community for getting together to support Aquatic Survival Skills Trust.

We really appreciate your token, which helps us to bring more opportunities to deliver water safety education in BOP primary schools!

Right in time for summer, let’s keep the Bay a safe place and remember that aquatic survival starts with you.

Why the Bay of Plenty needs Aquatic Survival Skills Lessons. Over the past two decades, financial constraints have led many schools to close their pools, leaving a generation of adults without essential swimming skills and water survival knowledge.

This gap has had serious implications for water safety, as evidenced by the alarming drowning statistics in New Zealand.In 2023 alone, 90 lives were lost to drowning, a stark reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive aquatic survival education. The Bay of Plenty, with its beautiful but potentially hazardous water environments, sees a particularly high incidence of drownings, making it imperative to equip our children with the skills to stay safe.

Our program addresses this critical need by providing free aquatic survival training to primary school students, ensuring that they gain not just the ability to swim, but the knowledge and confidence to navigate different water settings safely. By doing so we aim to create a ripple effect, where well-educated children can influence their families and communities, promoting a broader culture of water safety.

Vote for us at Z Te Puke, cause we do Good in the Hood!

Our trust will be in-store from 26 August to 21 September, competing for a share of community funding that helps us deliver our free aquatic survival skills programme to BOP primary schools.

Every vote for us means more children in our local schools will have the chance to learn essential water survival skills. Thank you for helping us continue to provide this life saving education.

Vote for us at Z Te Puke, because we do Good in the Hood! Our trust will be in-store from 26 August to 21 September, competing for a share of community funding that helps us deliver our free aquatic survival skills programme to BOP primary schools. You’ve got a couple more weeks to vote for us! Here’s how: Fill up at Z Te Puke, Grab an orange token at the counter, Pop it into the Aquatic Survival Skills Trust slot! Every vote for us means more children in our local schools will have the chance to learn essential water survival skills. Thank you for helping us continue to provide this life saving education.