4.3.4 Treading Water
Treading water is also a skill often used in a variety of rescue and personal survival situations. E.g., the skill could be used to:
- support a patient whilst Expired Air Resuscitation is performed in the water
- to remain stationary whilst checking your surroundings
- whilst waiting for a boat to circle and pick up
- to raise yourself out of the water to signal for help
Treading water is a highly refined skill that advanced swimmers can usually master as it requires refined sculling techniques and an alternating Breaststroke kick (egg beater kick) so generally a reasonable level of Breaststroke ability is a prerequisite. To tread water, the swimmer positions their body in an upright position with the head out of the water. Learners can commence learning a basic treading water skill by walking in water combined with a dog paddle type action with a semi-vertical body position.
Once treading water has developed to a reasonable level of proficiency, moving and sculling skills such as sculling forwards or backwards, on the front or back, with the hands by the side or extended above the head can be attempted.