Follow the seven B's (Lake Safety)


Due to the nature of our swimmers who are often beginners - uncertain in the deep, and new to dealing with waves and cold water - we need to take extra steps to keep everyone safe.


BUDDY with you

dry BAG for visual

BACK for resting

BASICS water skills

swim behind BUOYS

BEWARE sipe

BOATIES to report

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  1. ALWAYS have a BUDDY with you. The buddy should be a good swimmer and confident at being able to help you back to shore if you panic or swallow some water.
  2. If your buddy is also a beginner, take a DRY BAG with you too. This is an orange/pink floaty device that straps on and floats along behind you - it doesn’t get in the way of your swim, but is there if you ever need it. It also has a dry bag section to keep your phone/keys in, and of course it clearly marks where you are in that big lake.
  3. If you are getting tired or out of breath or raspy or dizzy or cramping or freaking out, always remember to TURN ON YOUR BACK for a completely relaxing rest. It's also much easier for others to tow you to shore when you are on your back.
  4. Attend a BASICS LIFEGUARD/WATER SKILLS session and learn about hazards in the water. Don't go deep until you know how to relax and recover and get yourself to shore. Also learn how to help freaked out swimmers or those who are in trouble. This session will also include how to tow a person back to shore, and basic first aid. Kerris or Maxine will run these a couple times over summer.
  5. Always swim well within the CONE BUOYS indicating the swim area. Boaties cannot see you in the open lake!
  6. Learn and BEWARE of the water health dangers such as Swimming Induced Pulmonary Eodema. SIPE is a condition which can arise when the 'perfect storm' of combinations happen all at once, eg including: previous heart condition, extreme cold water, very tight wetsuit, fear, hyperventilating, lack of warmup, going too hard. SIPE is where the blood builds up pressure in the middle of the body and leaks through the thin veins of the lungs, resulting in raspy breathing, lack of breath, and coughing of pink froth. In this case the swimmer just needs to relax and be assisted back to shore, where they need to go to hospital to help clear their lungs.
  7. Actively REPORT BOATIES in the swim areas or acting dangerously. Take close-up pictures that can easily identify the boat/captain, and of the rego plate of any vehicle. Call the Duty Harbourmaster on 0800 55 66 87 (0800 5 KNOTS). There should be either be Ross Powell or another person on call in the Rotorua area at all times.

Kerris Browne 021 753 691