How to Get Kids into Diving
24 July 2024
If you want to get your kids into diving, it’s never too early to start thinking about it. Before even considering climbing onto a diving board, they need specific steps and experiences to ensure they are happy and safe. So, to help your child make it to the diving stage, here are some ideas you can do to help them.
Build Water Confidence
It’s never too early to introduce your children to water; if you’re sensible with how you do it, they will begin to love it from a very young age. The happier children are around water, the more likely they will enjoy being in or on the stuff and learn how to enjoy it safely, which is a life-saving skill.
There are plenty of ways to introduce your children to water and build their confidence; bathtimes, paddling pools, and splash pools are all fab ways for them to splash, dip and duck. Make sure, however, to always stay with your child when they’re enjoying the water; not only can situations change quickly and become life-threatening for your little one, but an accident can also cause a major setback in confidence.
Swimming Lessons
The first formal stage of learning to dive is learning to swim. With this skill, diving clubs will consider your child joining their club. The simple reason is that diving is dangerous without the confidence and ability to move around in the water, remain buoyant and have the strength to stay safe.
Most large towns and all cities will have opportunities for your child to participate in swimming lessons and to work their way through the Swim England Learn to Swim stages 1-7. The lessons can begin when your child reaches age 4 and start by building more independent water confidence, before teaching the strokes and then moving into the finer performance details of stroke and breathing techniques.
Find a Club
The next stage is to find your kids a diving club. This may be possible as a seamless transition at the leisure centre they swim at; however, depending on where you live, you may need to travel a little further afield. You can search diving clubs on the Swim England Diving website, Scottish Swimming, Swim Wales, or Swim Ireland, depending on your location.
Once your child begins lessons, they will work through the stages, learn diving safety and techniques to help them improve. They will also have the opportunity to compete in friendly competitions, which is a great experience, especially if they want to progress and reach a high standard.
Progression
Once your child has gotten into the sport, it’ll be hard for them to leave. With clear-cut talent pathways and the excitement and exhilaration of competing, your children can keep going as far as they wish and, if they have what it takes, go all the way to the top and represent the UK at the Olympics. However, to get this far, it all starts with water confidence from a very young age.