Watch around water

Watch Around Water Program 

To assist with safety, GESAC strictly enforces the national Watch Around Water supervision policy.

Children under age 10 will be required to wear a coloured wristband based on their age. Disposable wristbands will be provided by Glen Eira Leisure. 

Children under five years old

• Must be accompanied into the centre by a responsible parent or guardian over the age of 16 years old
• Must stay within arm’s reach of a parent or guardian at all times
• Must be accompanied by a parent or guardian in the water
• Must wear a pink wristband; and
• Must have a ratio of one parent or guardian to no more than two children
• Unsupervised children will be removed from the water by staff

Children between age five and 10

• Must be accompanied into the Centre by a responsible parent or guardian over the age of 16 years old
• Must be constantly and actively supervised by a responsible parent or guardian; where children are within arm’s reach, being able to provide immediate help and be ready to enter the water in case of an emergency
• Parents or guardians must position themselves to have a clear view of the child with no physical or structural barriers between them and the child or children or structural barriers between them and the child / children
• Must wear a yellow wristband; and
• Must have a ratio of one parent or guardian to no more than four children
• Unsupervised children will be removed from the water by staff

Children aged 10 or older

• Parents or guardians are responsible for the care, conduct and supervision of the child or children at all times and must use their knowledge of an individual child’s swimming ability and general development to determine the level of accompaniment required
• It is recommended that children 10 and over not be left at the pool unsupervised and that parents or guardians over the age of 16 years check on their child by physically going where they are in or around the water
• If a lifeguard is concerned for a child’s safety, they will be removed from the water

Supervision during structured learning and swimming lessons

• For recreational swimming on either side of the lesson, the full Watch Around Water requirements applies.
• A responsible adult must accompany children under 5 into the water if the child is swimming recreationally on either side of their lesson.
• Children under 10 must be actively supervised by the responsible adult if swimming recreationally on either side of their lesson.
• When multiple children are participating in multiple lessons, it is recognised that it is not always practicable for the responsible adult to supervise those children during the lesson time, particularly if their lessons are occurring in different pool spaces. Therefore, responsible adults should aim to split their time between lessons ensuring regular check-in with Swim Instructors
• Responsible adults must refrain from distractions such as phones, other recreational activities and must not leave the Centre.
• Should the child or swim instructors require the responsible adult’s assistance, swim instructors should be able to locate and gain their attention immediately

Non and weak swimmers

• You must identify yourself to a lifeguard before entering the pool if you are a beginner or new swimmer with little experience or is not comfortable in the water.
• Non and weak swimmers should stay in the area of shallow water.
• A weak swimmer is someone with limited swimming ability who struggles to swim confidently or for extended distances. Some key characteristics of a weak swimmer include:
  o unable to swim two pool widths without pausing or stopping;
  o lacks endurance and tires easily while swimming;
  o relies on flotation devices or shallow water to stay afloat;
  o poor technique and form for swimming strokes;
  o difficulty controlling breathing while swimming;
  o inability to tread water for more than a brief period

Watch Around Water Program for Swim School 

Children under age 10 will be required to wear a coloured wristband based on their age anytime they attend GESAC or Carnegie Swim Centre, outside of their lesson time.

Glen Eira Leisure will provide permanent wristbands for Swim School members. 

For more information about pool safety please see the Life Saving Victoria resources. 

Please note: For the health and safety of all guests, we ask that parents and guardians support us in following these policies. Those who do not will be asked to exit the pool.

Water Safety Online Learning for Parents 

We recommend parents complete this Life Saving Victoria safety module here