Catch a wave or make a splash — oh how we enjoy our beautiful beaches and the cool, refreshing water of a backyard pool. Luckily, South Padre Island has both!
Summer fun does come with precautions. We parents and grandparents are eyes and ears wide open to ALWAYS know where the little ones are at all times. It’s that time of the year we warn the kids to not venture out too deep, always go with at least one other swimmer and diving in pools is prohibited.
As a swimming instructor for 40 years, I’ve seen it all. We may think children are the only ones at risk but some of my rescues have been adults. In fact, those are the scariest, hair-raising rescues. Trust me.
During my high school and college days after receiving lifeguard certification, teaching swimming was an excellent way of earning income. Plus, the personal satisfaction of helping scared students (kids and adults) of all ages learn basic water safety and then complete swimming skills is quite rewarding.
Having water fun this summer begins with good ole fashioned common sense. Only seasoned and experienced swimmers should venture out to any body of water deeper than the knees. That may read overboard but I have witnessed wading into shallow waters becoming a near nightmare.
When it comes to infants and toddlers, of which I was trained as a swimming instructor for 6-month olds, please make sure the attending adult is a very good swimmer. The alert factors for our precious little ones of course include hazards of swallowing water, stepping or falling into any depth of water and overall trauma.
A very common first lesson of teaching swimming is overcoming the fear of water. This is more common than one might think. On the flip side, our youngest son who is now 7, was and is never afraid of anything. That’s the most dangerous situation because a fearless toddler/adolescent will try it all with no regard to the hazards.
Rio Grande Valley summer fun in and around water is amazing! It’s priceless family time of making unforgettable memories. Let’s take every measure to ensure the memories are enjoyable ones. From lifejackets to proper supervision, preferably a trained water safety adult, let’s have fun beating the Valley heat.
Cheers to your summer vacations and family outings!