In Hawke’s Bay we have five rivers and nine beaches. We are a country surrounded by water, and November marks more than just the start of summer, it’s New Zealand’s highest-risk drowning season.

This month, we’re leading our own path for water safety with our first-ever public Water Safety Workshop, designed to build confident and water-wise swimmers of all ages. Typically priced around $70 for similar programmes, we’ve made it a mission to make this opportunity more accessible at just $30. The 2.5-hour session is designed to teach practical survival and rescue techniques, risk awareness, boat safety, and confidence in the water.

“If our first public workshop is successful, we hope to do many more - and more frequently.”

Our Learn to Swim and Water Safety programmes have been running for over three years with local schools, helping tamariki gain important water safety skills. This year 2,628 students have participated in our programme thanks to the funding support of Royston Health Trust. Many of these young swimmers begin with little to no experience and finish the term swimming independently, proud and confident in their abilities.

Adult learn-to-swim programmes are also growing in demand - and for good reason. With 73% of drowning victims in 2024 being adult males*, we’re determined to break the stigma that learning to swim is just for kids. It’s never too late to start. We’ve seen so many life-changing success stories come through our doors as adults gain the confidence to enjoy the water instead of sitting on the sidelines.

Our swim instructors are also incredibly passionate, supporting each journey and celebrating every milestone along the way.

A recent adult water safety workshop with Air Hawke’s Bay trainee pilots, helped many international students who were unfamiliar with our local beaches and rivers. The session focused on understanding water conditions, identifying safe entry and exit points, and knowing what to do in an emergency. This yearly workshop is held in remembrance of Aman Kumar, a much-loved member of the Air Hawke’s Bay family who tragically drowned at Maraetotara Falls in 2018.

So our message this Water Safety Month is simple: It’s never too late to learn. Everyone deserves to feel safe, confident, and capable in and around the water.

Article added: Monday 17 November 2025

*Statistics sourced from Water Safety NZ.