Beach safety for beach fitness trainers
For fitness trainers living on the coast, summer is the perfect time to switch training sessions from the park to the beach.
As much as the ocean might seem the perfect bonus to your training offering you shouldn’t be conducting organised water-based activities unless you’re qualified, insured and have the appropriate water safety strategies in place.
You need to be acutely aware of your duty of care and potential liability in this area before deciding to let your participants cool off, or sending them out in the water as part of a run-swim-run.
In deciding whether to swim or not to swim, there are a number of considerations to weigh up as a fitness trainer.
At the end of the day, if it’s not your core business and you’re not qualified, insured or prepared then don’t take your participants into the water.
If you’ve got participants who want to swim, tell them they can do so before or after your training session… and remember to always swim between the red and yellow flags!
Water activity considerations for fitness trainers
Would you like to incorporate water activities into your training sessions?
Here’s a list of things to think about before you do.
Permits
Are you permitted by your local council to deliver organised commercial swimming activities?
Qualifications
Do you have a lifesaving certificate? Do you have Teacher of swimming or swimming coach qualifications?
Insurance
Are you insured for entering the water and conducting aquatic activities?
Risk Management
Do you have a comprehensive risk management process? Are you prepared to conduct risk assessments? Are you keeping records?
Water Safety
Do you have qualified water safety and can you maintain safe water safety to participant ratios?
Lifeguards
Are there lifeguards on patrol? Are you swimming between the flags?
Experience
Do you have the necessary experience to conduct aquatic activities? Do you have an in-depth knowledge of the aquatic environment you’re entering?
Participants
How are you assessing the ability of your participants? Is there a prerequisite ability level?
What do I need to coach aquatic activities?
- Minimum Cert II in Public Safety (Aquatic Rescue)/Bronze Medallion
- First Aid and CPR Certificates
- Public Liability and Personal Indemnity Insurance over and above your fitness trainer insurance
- Membership of an industry body (i.e. Fitness Australia/ASCTA)
- Rescue equipment (i.e. rescue tube/board)
- Council permit (if required)
- Lifeguards on patrol
- Maintain safe instructor/participant water safety ratios
Further information
- Want to become an ocean fitness instructor? Contact us (Licences available)
- Need lifesaving qualifications? Join your local surf club or enquire at Surf Life Saving Australia/New Zealand
