Cooling off in natural water

Cooling off on hot days is an attractive option and where there is a safe shallow source of water available this can be achieved by applying the general principles of supervision.

Good water quality is important and the depth must not exceed the average knee height so that specialist rescue is not required.

For more guidance see group safety at the water margins on the Teachernet website. Examples of the typical locations that are likely to be safe are in rock pools on a sandy beach, and some shallow sections of moorland rivers or under very low volume waterfalls providing the location is safe enough from deep pools and very slippery rocks or further drops.