Treading water and sculling

Setup

1. Learners can already push and glide, float on the back and stand up from a float before trying this.
2. Start sculling in standing depth, then move to water just out of standing depth beside the wall or a ladder. Check and tell the group the depth.
3. A qualified teacher on deck and a helper in the water close to the learners; each learner has a noodle and the wall is always within a short reach.

How it runs

1. In standing depth, lying back on a noodle: hands by the hips sweep out and in in a flat figure-of-eight, palms pressing the water. Feel the body stay up.
2. In deeper water, one hand on the wall: scull with the free hand while the legs cycle or kick slowly underneath.
3. Noodle under the arms, move a metre from the wall and tread water for 20–30 seconds, then return to the wall and rest.
4. Repeat with the noodle held in front of the chest, then without a noodle right beside the helper, for 10–20 seconds.
5. Practise the calm option: when tired, lean back, float and scull, then make your way to the wall.

Coaching points

• Body upright, head tilted back a little, mouth clear of the water; the shoulders don't need to come out.
• Hands scull just below the surface, palms angled, like smoothing sand flat.
• Legs move slowly: an eggbeater, a cycling action or a gentle breaststroke kick, whichever keeps you steady.
• Breathe steadily; treading water is about saving energy, not working hard.
• If tired, roll onto the back and float to rest.

Common mistakes

• Arms lifting out of the water and splashing, which pushes the body down.
• Fast, frantic kicking that wears the swimmer out in seconds.
• Leaning forward with the chin in the water and swallowing water.