Water and swimming
There’s a lot of water in the Netherlands, e.g. the sea, lakes, rivers, canals and swimming pools. Water can be deadly if you’re a poor swimmer.
Be safe around water
Swimming can be very refreshing in hot weather. But if you’re a poor swimmer, water can be deadly. People drown almost every year.
Are you thinking about heading into the water? Always keep these tips in mind:
- Don’t get into the water if you haven’t learnt how to swim.
- Never swim alone.
- Always keep a close eye on your children.
- Never swim in places where swimming is prohibited.
- Enter the water carefully. You often won’t be able to see where the water is deep and when you will be out of your depth. And the bottom will often be uneven too. You could suddenly find yourself in deep water.
- Take care in cold water. You could become hypothermic and get a cramp in cold water.
- Be aware of currents. You could get dragged along by strong currents in a river or the sea.
- Never jump or dive into water that isn’t clear.
Watch the video
Deze video licht bewoners voor over Nederland waterland. Het laat bewoners zien wat er zo leuk is aan recreëren aan het water én wat de gevaren van het water zijn. Het zorgt voor een eerste kennismaking met de verschillende soorten water in Nederland en moet bewoners stimuleren om zwemles te nemen.
Otherwise, watch the Steffi.nl video about swimming here. The video provides all kinds of tips about things to do to make your swim as safe as possible. It also explains why swimming lessons are so important. Both videos are available in a number of languages: Dutch, English, Turkish, Somali and Arabic.
Learning to swim
Children in the Netherlands have swimming lessons from a very early age. Children and adults living at the COA can have swimming lessons. Would you like swimming lessons? Ask a COA employee about them or go to the Infobalie.
