Water Safety Rules for Teens

Tips for Your Family

Whether your teen will be boating on a lake, boogie boarding in the ocean or just swimming in a backyard pool, there are rules he/she needs to know that may not have crossed your mind to talk about. Yet, according to the Mayo Clinic, 'drowning is the second-leading cause of injury-related death for children up to 14 years of age.' Therefore, it is advantageous to discuss with your teen what rules are in place concerning water activities long before the activity, like during a family meeting. This will keep you from trying to run down the list of rules five minutes before your teen heads off to your neighbor’s pool. Here are six tips to help you promote water safety rules with your teen:

Teach your teen to swim. If your teen didn’t take classes earlier in childhood, get him/her classes now. Be sure that both your teen and you know his/her ability. If your teen is not a strong swimmer or you are unsure of his/her swimming ability, limit time in a pool and/or how far out he/she can go in the ocean or on a lake. You can fluctuate with these rules as your teen’s ability improves and you begin to feel more comfortable.

Teens should always swim with a buddy. Even if there are adults present, like at a family picnic, the buddy system should be in place. This way your child is still safe if the adult who is supervising is distracted for a minute or two, which happens very often at picnics and parties.

Teens should not be left unattended while swimming or boating. Younger teens need to have an adult present with them and older teens - above the age of 16-years-old - should be able to get the attention of an adult within thirty seconds.

Teach your teen how to use a life jacket properly and require that he/she wear it when boating or surfing. If your teen boats or surfs regularly, buy a life jacket just for him/her. Most drowning incidents due to boating accidents could have been prevented if the victim had worn a life jacket properly.

Teach your teen how to signal if something is wrong. Your teen should wave one or both arms and cry 'Help!' if he/she gets caught too far out without the ability to come back or gets caught in a current on the ocean. Teach this long beforehand, so that your teen will not forget it in a panic situation.

Require that your teen learn CPR. Preteens and teens are old enough to learn CPR and can take classes at the American Red Cross. Sign up for a class together and turn it into some family time or check with the high school as many U.S. high schools give this class for credit.