rules to play finswimming

Lots of kids swim in streams, lakes, or ponds. Extra care must be taken when swimming in these beautiful places. You cant always see the bottom of the lake or pond, so you dont always know the depth of the water. This is an additional reason to always swim with an adult.

Although the fish swimming around wont hurt you, some ponds and lakes may hide jagged rocks, broken bottles, or trash. Wear something to protect your feet. Also, watch out for weeds and grass, which can trap even a good swimmer. If you panic and try to yank yourself free, you may get even more tangled. Instead, shake and pull your arms and legs slowly to work yourself loose and call for an adults help.

If youre going out on a boat, always wear a life jacket. Again, the life jacket should be Coast Guard approved. Even if you are a good swimmer, something could cause the boat to tip over and you could be trapped underneath.

Its hard to resist a day on the beach, but youll need to know some safety rules for swimming in the ocean. Swimming in the ocean is trickier than the pool because of waves and currents, which can change. When you first get to the beach, check with the lifeguard to find out how strong the waves are. Some places fly flags or write notes on a chalkboard to give swimmers an idea of what conditions are like.

Waves can knock you down or push you to the ocean floor. Stay close to an adult or get out of the water when the waves get rough. People also get into trouble when they start to panic or become too tired to swim. Its important to know your limits, so if you start feeling tired, get out of the water and rest for a while.

In some places swimmers may encounter strong undertows or ocean currents. Rip currents also called riptides are so strong that they can carry swimmers away from shore before they know whats happening. If you are caught in a current, swim parallel to the shore alongside the shore rather than toward the shore until the water stops pulling you, then swim back to shore. If you cant get back to the beach, tread water and wave for a lifeguards help. In this situation its really important to stay calm and not panic.

Kids love water parks and why shouldnt they? Wave pools, giant slides, and squirting fountains are a lot of fun. To stay safe, find out what each attraction is like and how deep the water is. Some wave pools can get rough, so its a good idea to have an adult nearby.

Here are other water park safety tips:

Wear a life jacket if you dont know how to swim or if youre not a strong swimmer.

Read all of the signs before going on a ride. Make sure you are tall enough, old enough, and dont have any of the medical conditions that are listed. If you have questions, check with a parent or ask the lifeguard.

Always make sure theres a lifeguard at each ride and listen to his or her instructions. Wait until the rider ahead of you has passed a safe point for you to go down the slide.

Always go down the water slide face up and feet first. This is the safe and correct way to ride.

When you go from ride to ride, dont run its slippery! Also, remember that each ride is different. Read each sign and note how deep the water is in the pool.

Pulling or kicking into the wall once a swimmer has turned passed the vertical onto the breast. Turning onto the breast before touching the wall with the hand at the finish of the race.

An illegal kick such as flutter freestyle, dolphin butterfly, or scissors side stroke; not on the breast; alternating movements of the arms; taking two arm strokes or two leg kicks while the head is under water; touching with only one hand at the turns or finish.

Alternating movements of the arms or legs; pushing the arms forward under instead of over the water surface underwater recovery; a breaststroke style of kick; touching with only one hand at the turns or finish.

After the start and after each turn, at any time prior to the first breast stroke kick, a single butterfly dolphin kick is permitted, following which, all movements of the legs shall be simultaneous and in the same horizontal plane without alternating movement.

The feet must be turned outwards during the propulsive part of the kick. Scissors, alternating movements, or downward butterfly dolphin kicks are not permitted except as provided herein. Breaking the surface of the water with the feet is allowed unless followed by a downward butterfly dolphin kick.

At each turn and at the finish of the race, the touch shall be made with both hands separated and simultaneously at, above, or below the water level. At the last stroke before the turn and at the finish, an arm stroke not followed by a leg kick is permitted. The head may be submerged after the last arm pull prior to the touch, provided it breaks the surface of the water at some point during the last complete or incomplete cycle preceding the touch.

To be eligible for competition, including participation in warmups, members must be 18 years of age or over.

In planning any meet, careful consideration must be given the demands to be made upon swimmers, officials, and spectators, in that order. Meets should be planned to terminate within a reasonable period of time each day. Planning should provide for adequate meal and rest breaks and sheltered rest areas.
Any event conducted must be offered for all age groups and both genders. Any of the following events may be conducted.