What this water safety skill is
Treading water means staying upright in water too deep to stand in, with the mouth and nose above the surface. The hands sweep gently back and forth just under the water, and the legs kick slowly underneath. The aim is to stay up with as little effort as possible.
It comes after your child can come up from deep water and settle. Most people start by using their hands and legs together. Later, some learn to tread with the legs alone, and teens and adults can learn the eggbeater kick that water polo players use. Next comes swimming and resting in turns.
See it in action
How to Tread Water
Moving the hands to stay up and a bicycle kick, with the harder kicks shown for later.
From the AquaMobile YouTube channel
Why it matters
Staying put until help comes.
Treading keeps the head up while your child waits, looks around or calls out.
Hands free to wave.
Treading with the legs alone lets your child signal for help.
Confidence in the deep end.
Once your child can tread, deep water starts to feel a lot less scary.
A base for much more.
Treading comes up again and again, from swimming in clothes to water sports.
Who it is for
Children, teens, adults and older adults who are comfortable in deep water with the instructor close. Children usually start once they can float, go underwater and move a short way on their own. If you are an older adult, a gentle kick that suits your joints works well, and your instructor adapts it for you. The eggbeater kick is for teens and adults who already tread with confidence.
Part 1 of 3
Using hands and legs
The goal
Your child stays upright in deep water with their chin near the surface, hands sweeping gently and legs kicking slowly. They breathe easily and stay in one place.
Why it matters
This is the first way most people learn to tread. It keeps the head up long enough to look around, take a breath and head for safety.
What happens in lessons
Holding on first.
Your child starts holding the wall or the instructor, feeling how slow kicks help keep them up.
The hands join in.
Your child lets go with one hand, then both, and uses gentle sweeps of the hands to stay up.
Short turns, then longer.
Treading starts with a few seconds beside the instructor and slowly builds toward a whole minute.
Tread, then swim.
Your child finishes each tread by swimming to the wall, just as they would for real.
How you can help between lessons
We practise this one in lessons only, with your instructor right there in the water.
Common questions
- How long should my child be able to tread water?
- The goals build from 15 seconds up to one minute, followed by a swim to safety. What matters most is that the treading looks calm and steady, not just the time.
- My child gets tired very quickly. Is that normal?
- Yes. Beginners tend to kick hard and hold their head high, which is exhausting. As the movements get slower and wider, treading gets much easier.
- Is treading water better than floating?
- They do different jobs. Floating on the back uses less energy, so it is best for resting. Treading keeps you upright, so it is best for looking around and calling for help.
- Can we practise treading at home?
- Please keep treading water for lessons. It needs deep water and a capable adult in the water right beside your child, every time.
