Clear Water Check
A routine swimmers perform before every jump or dive: check depth, look left, right and ahead for swimmers, wait for the signal – until it becomes automatic.
- Stages
- Diving – Stage 8, Diving – Stage 9, Diving – Stage 10
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Water Safety, Diving Safety
- Equipment
- Float
- Age
- 8–99 years
- Group size
- 1–16 swimmers
- Time
- About 3 minutes
- In a lesson
- Introduction / Warm-up, Skill Development 1
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- The teacher always controls the go signal; entries are one at a time into an area checked clear.
What it develops
- Know safe depth, space and rules for diving
- Confident, controlled entries and exits
How to run it
- Before each entry the swimmer stands at the marked spot and says (quietly) 'deep, clear, signal'.
- Deep: they confirm the water is deep enough here. Clear: they look ahead and to both sides. Signal: they wait for the teacher's go.
- Only then do they make their entry.
- The teacher occasionally places a float in the water; the swimmer must spot it and wait.
Teaching cues
- Deep, clear, signal.
- Look all around.
- Never go without the signal.
Make it easier
- Teacher says the three checks with the swimmer.
Make it harder
- Swimmers check for each other and give the signal under supervision.
Common faults
- Going as soon as the previous swimmer surfaces.
- Only looking straight ahead.
Corrections
- 'Wait until they've swum away.'
- 'Look left and right too.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand in the water or on poolside beside the exit point and signal 'clear' to the teacher once each swimmer has swum out of the entry area.