How to Prone Float

The prone float is also known as the dead man’s float. It is one of the first techniques beginning
swimmers learn. Because it is a technique in which the face is submerged in the water, the prone float
helps beginners become accustomed to that sensation and to build confidence in the water. In addition,
the prone float allows the swimmer to see the bottom of the pool so he knows where he is going. The
prone float is the starting position for common swim strokes such as the crawl and breaststroke.

Stand in the shallow end of a swimming pool. The water should come only to your chest. If you are
uncomfortable or unfamiliar with your face under water, wear a swim mask and adjust it snugly to keep
water out of your eyes.

Inhale and fill your lungs with as much air as you can. Hold your breath.

Bend at the waist in a slow, deliberate motion until your face is in the water. At the same time, place
your hands on the front of your thighs. Do not put your entire head under water, only your face.

Slide your hands down your thighs toward your ankles until your feet come off the bottom of the pool.
You will begin to float with your back horizontal with the water’s surface.

Extend your legs behind you. Extend your arms in front of you until you are completely prone in the
water. Keep holding your breath.

Draw your knees into your chest while pulling your arms toward your body to end the prone float. Stand
up again on the pool bottom in a deliberate motion. Let the air out of your lungs when your face comes
out of the water.

Tips

Prove to yourself that you cannot sink to the bottom even if you tried. Place a coin in the bottom of the
pool and stand on it as you prepare to prone float. As you slide your hands down your legs, try to keep
going and pick up the coin. You will not be able to do it, proving you cannot sink to the bottom.

Warnings

If you do not know how to swim or are uncomfortable with being in the water, never try any swimming
techniques without a partner present.
SUPINE FLOATING

How to Do It

Here’s how to do the starfish float, on your back:

 Stand in the shallow area of the pool, so as to have the water at waist level.

 Crouch down so that the water gets at shoulder level.

 Spread your arms horizontally apart from the body.

 Lean back in the water to get into an oblique position.

 Push yourself away from the ground with your feet, with enough momentum so that your legs
move upward to the water surface.

 Lean on your back and straighten your body so that it forms a line from head to toes, with arms
spread apart.

 Slowly spread your legs apart.

 Keep your head, back and hips aligned, stay relaxed and breathe calmly.

Additional Tips

 It is best to learn starfish float on your back in a calm environment. Otherwise, waves will splash
into your face and disturb your breathing.

 A friend or family member can be helpful to correct your position, for example by supporting
your back.
A friend or family member can help learning a good horizontal position

 Having mastered horizontal balance first is helpful to learn this technique. You can do so with
our head-lead supine balance drill.

 A kickboard held overhead can also help in finding the correct horizontal position. Just let go of
the kickboard and spread your arms once you feel balanced on your back.

 Being able to do the starfish float helps in learning elementary backstroke.

 Not everyone can do the starfish float. For example, my legs always drop down to the ground
when I try this technique. A friend of mine, however, can stay in the horizontal position without
a problem. It depends on your morphology it seems.
Back Crawl Technique Swimming Tips:

Step 1 - Leg Movement: Your legs constantly kick while doing the back crawl. This allows the swimmer
to travel in a straight line. You should use long fast kicks and make sure your legs are moving up and
down. Your knees are kept slightly bent and underwater, and your toes should make a small splash
when you kick. You can practice the leg movement by using the safety rail at the side of the pool. When
you have built up enough confidence you can then let go of the rail as kicking your legs will keep you
afloat.

Step 2 - Arm Movement: The arms are used similar to the front crawl, but in reverse. The swimmer
makes a circular motion as they move their arms in and out of the water at alternate intervals. You can
start by putting one arm in the water in a straight line above your shoulder. Your palm should be facing
away and once your hand is in the water it should push down and towards your feet. Keep pushing your
hand towards your feet until your elbow is straight. Then lift your arm out of the water, back to its
original position and repeat the motion again. The arm should be kept straight all of the time it is out of
the water.

Freestyle Technique Swimming Tips:

1. Leg Kick: The leg kick will control the body position in the water, while the arm cycle will move the
body forwards. Establishing the correct timing between your legs and arms is vital to perfecting the
stroke. The legs kick in a flutter style ideally 6 times per cycle. During freestyle try to remain horizontal in
the water, a strong kick will keep your legs from sinking behind you. You should only make a small splash
with your legs, only slightly breaking the surface of the water.

2. Arm Cycle: The arm cycle consists of Pulling, Pushing and the Recovery. Pulling is the semicircle
movement your arms make from the water level to the chest. The arm is kept straight and the hand
points towards the body center and downward. As you pull your hands through the water, keep them
cupped firmly, but not rigidly. Fingers should be held just slightly apart. Pushing is the completion of the
pull, the swimmers arm is pulled back up to the waters level. The palm is moved backward through the
water underneath the body at the beginning and at the side of the body at the end of the push. The
recovery moves the elbow in a semicircle in the swimming direction. The lower arm and the hand are
completely relaxed and hang down from the elbow. The recovering hand moves forward, just above the
surface of the water. During the recovery the shoulder is moved into the air by twisting the torso. It is
important to relax the arm during the recovery. To practice the elbow movement try skimming the
water with your fingertips, you should also try stretching each stroke out as much as possible without
ever stopping the motion.

3. Breathing: The swimmers face is kept down in the water during freestyle. Breathing is done through
the mouth by turning the head to the side of a recovering arm at the beginning of the recovery. The
head is rotated back at the end of the recovery and points down in the water again. The swimmer
breathes out through mouth and nose until the next breath. Try to take a breath every 3rd arm recovery
so you will be able to breath from either side.
Breaststroke Steps / Technique:

Step 1 - Leg Movement: From the initial position move your feet and legs together, like a frog would.
Simply bend your knees and lift your feet up as far as your posterior. Turn your feet out in preparation
for pushing back with the bottom of your foot. Move your feet out and in again to meet each other, and
straighten your legs with your knees touching. It is a good idea to practice this movement at the side of
the pool, by holding onto a support rail with your legs stretched out behind you.

Step 2 - Arm Movement: Start out by placing your arms out in front just under the surface of the water.
With your palms facing outwards push both hands out and around as if drawing a full circle. Your hands
finish by stretching forwards again. Your arms and legs should stay in the water all of the time and you
shouldn't splash when doing the stroke correctly.

Step 3 - Breathing: The reason breaststroke is so popular among recreational swimmers is that

breathing is achieved easily. When you have mastered the leg and arm movements you will notice that
your head starts to lift naturally at the end of the cycle. When this occurs simply lift your face out of the
water and take a breath in through your mouth. Put your face back into the water breathing out through
your nose and mouth, as you stretch your arms forward to begin the circle again.

Step 4 - The last step is to put the stroke together, so pull your arms and breathe in while pushing your
legs back and stretching out with your body level in the water.
Water-Safety Rule
Every year, thousands of Americans are injured or killed in boating and swimming accidents. You can
protect yourself and your family from such accidents by following these guidelines.

Boating safety

 Check weather and water conditions before leaving shore.

 Don't drink and boat. Alcohol is a factor in many boating accidents. Choose a designated boat
driver who will not drink.

 Insist that everyone wear a Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device or life jacket while
on board.

 Always tell someone where you'll be boating, when you expect to be back, and what your boat
looks like.

 Keep Coast Guard-approved visual distress devices, such as pyrotechnic red flares, orange
distress flags, or lights on board.

 Don't carry more passengers than the maximum listed on the boat's capacity plate.

Home-pool safety

Here's how to keep your family safe:

 Enclose your pool with a fence, wall, or other barrier at least 4 feet tall. Install self-latching gates
that open outward.

 Don't assume your child can swim. Many youngsters forget how to swim when panicked.

 Keep a portable phone in the pool area and program emergency contacts on its speed dial.

 Keep a close eye on children and nonswimmers who are using inflatable toys, inner tubes, and
mattresses. They could slide off them and drown.

 Closely supervise children when they are diving or jumping in the pool. Head and back injuries
are likely to occur during these activities.

 Keep the pool's deck area clear of tripping hazards like toys, dishes, and hoses.

 Review safety measures and rules with guests before they swim.

Safety musts for children

 Never leave a young child alone in a bathtub, wading pool, swimming pool, lake, or river. If you
must answer the phone or get a towel, take the child with you.

 Be aware of backyard pools in your neighborhood or apartment building. Your child could
wander off and fall in.
  Enroll children in swimming lessons taught by qualified instructors. But remember, the lessons
won't make children "drown-proof."

 Teach your older children that they risk drowning when they overestimate their swimming
ability or underestimate water depth.

Safety musts for adults

 Take swimming lessons from a qualified instructor if you're not a strong, competent swimmer.

 Don't swim if you've been drinking alcohol.

 Don't swim alone or allow others to do so.

 Stay out of the water during thunderstorms and other severe weather. During lightning storms,
seek shelter away from metal objects, open areas, and large, lone trees.

 Don't exceed your swimming ability. Know your limits and stick to them.

 Check the water level before diving into a pool, ocean, pond, reservoir, or lake. Always dive with
your arms extended firmly over your head and your hands together.

 Don't dive into unknown bodies of water, like lakes, rivers, quarries, or irrigation ditches. Jump
feet first to avoid hitting your head (and breaking your neck or back) on a shallow bottom,
hidden rock, or other obstruction.

Swimming Pools First-Aid

Swimming pool first aid is a necessary skill for any parent who has a swimming child or learning to swim
baby. Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4 and the second-
leading cause of death in children 14 and under. Kids are especially at risk because they’re curious and
attracted to water but are not yet able to understand how dangerous it is. If your child is the victim of a
near drowning, a fast-action rescue plan can prevent a tragedy.

A small child can drown in as little as 5cm of water, just enough to cover their face and nose. You need
to make sure that you have some basic first aid equipment around the swimming pool, including a first
aid kit and a life preserver of some kind.

What to do in an emergency

If your child has been submerged in the water, your first priority is to get your child out of the swimming
pool and then check if they are breathing. If they aren’t, place your child on a hard surface, call for help
and start performing CPR. Don’t assume it’s too late to save a child’s life, even if they are unresponsive,
continue performing CPR and do not stop until medical professionals take over. Every parent should
know CPR and take a course in these life-saving techniques, especially if you have a swimming pool at
home, if you don’t know CPR here are some steps to take:
 1. To open your child’s airway, gently tilt his head back with one hand, and lift his chin with the
other. Put your ear to the child’s mouth and nose, and look, listen and feel for signs that he is
breathing.

If your child doesn’t seem to be breathing:

 Infants under age 1: Place your mouth over infant’s nose and lips and give two breaths, each
lasting about 1 1/2 seconds. Look for the chest to rise and fall.

 Children 1 and older: Pinch the child’s nose and seal your lips over his mouth. Give two slow, full
breaths (1 1/2 to 2 seconds each). Wait for the chest to rise and fall before giving the second
breath.

1. If the chest rises, check for a pulse (see number 4).

If the chest doesn’t rise, try again. Re-tilt the head, lift the child’s chin, and repeat the breaths.

1. Check for a pulse: Put two fingers on your child’s neck to the side of the Adam’s apple (for
infants, feel inside the arm between the elbow and shoulder). Wait five seconds. If there is a
pulse, give one breath every three seconds. Check for a pulse every minute, and continue rescue
breathing until the child is breathing on his own or help arrives.

1. If you can’t find a pulse then:

 Infants under age 1: Imagine a line between the child’s nipples, and place two fingers just below
its centre-point. Apply five chest compressions in about three seconds. After five compressions,
seal your lips over your child’s mouth and nose and give one breath.

 Children 1 and older: Use the heel of your hand (both hands for a teenager or adult) to apply
five quick chest compressions to the middle of the breastbone (just above where the ribs come
together) in about three seconds. After five compressions, pinch your child’s nose, seal your lips
over his mouth, and give one full breath.

All ages: continue the cycle of five chest compressions followed by a breath for one minute, then check
for a pulse. Repeat cycle until you find a pulse or help arrives and takes over.
You need to keep your child warm, no matter what happens, so remove any wet clothing and cover
them with a blanket or even a dry towel. All near-drowning victims should be observed in hospital for 24
hours.

Preventing an emergency is the best preparation for swimming pool first aid. Never leave a child alone
in or near a pool, the ocean, a spa or any other body of water!

The St John’s Ambulance runs a Caring For Kids first aid course for parents and child carers who want to
learn the techniques necessary for baby first aid. The qualification is current for 3 years and differs from
a Senior First Aid certification.