Innovative Leisure Management is hosting the Surf Life Saving SA VACSWIM program this week at Nangwarry following the success of the program at Penola and Millicent at the end of last year.

The holiday swimming initiative is funded and endorsed by the government and has been providing South Australian children from 5-13 years old with water knowledge for over 50 years.

The program teaches kids water awareness such as depth and potential problems in the water as well as water safety including how to save themselves, how to float and what signals to make if in distress.

Enrolments for the 2022/23 program increased on the previous season’s numbers with 139 swimmers enrolled at Millicent, and Penola receiving 128 participants.

Nangwarry enrolments are also tracking to increase on last season’s numbers.

Innovative Leisure Management managing director Peter Collins said fantastic weather made the Penola and Millicent program a huge hit for both children and their parents.

“A lot of the children here holiday on the beach at Beachport, Robe and Southend so it is really important to be able to swim,” he said.

“It is harder (to swim) in the surf then it is in a pool so they certaintly need their swimming skills.

“Hopefully everybody can get their children to lessons because it certaintly takes a load off parents minds.

“If parents have been away or missed out for one reason or another, we will be running our lessons at Penola again in February and March.”

Mr Collins said he believes interstate drownings during the last few weeks were partly a reflection on COVID-19 shutting down VACSWIM lessons worldwide.

“There are a lot of children that were aged in that really important bracket of 4-8 years old that missed two years of lessons, so we really try to fast track their development when we get them now because we think that age group is where there will be problems down the track,” he said.

“Given the increase in drowning statistics since the start of COVID, Innovative Leisure Management is keen to provide lessons for as many children as possible across the Wattle Range Council area.

“Parents had the opportunity to do the pool-based program or the lake before Christmas and then if they think their kids are okay they can let their kids swim at the beach or they can do the Beachport VACSWIM, as well, allowing children to do two programs.”

The Beachport VACSWIM program is also running this week.

For updates on the upcoming Penola lessons visit the Innovative Leisure Management Facebook page.