SWIMSAFER

Understanding SwimSafer & Buddy Sports' Role

SwimSafer is Singapore's national swimming and water safety programme, administered by Sport Singapore. Across Singapore, many swim schools and coaches—including Buddy Sports—help students prepare for the programme and its assessments.

At Buddy Sports, we guide families through every stage of the SwimSafer journey, from skill development and test preparation to assessment registration. All students are evaluated according to the same national SwimSafer standards and criteria.

While achieving a SwimSafer certification is an important milestone, we believe the true purpose of the programme is to equip children with the skills, confidence and water safety awareness needed to stay safe and enjoy the water for life.

That is why our coaching focuses not only on helping students meet the assessment requirements, but also on nurturing calm, confident and capable swimmers who are prepared for real-life situations in and around water.

SwimSafer Objectives

The objective of the SwimSaferTM 2.0 programme is to teach children and adults to be safe in, on and around the water and to swim well. Swimming and water safety skills are taught in a logical progression through six stages. Students will be taught basic skills and introduced to the swimming pool and its environment in Stage 1. As they progress through the stages, students will build on their basic skills and refine their movement in water. By the end of Stage 6, students would have acquired the prerequisite skills for entrance into other aquatic activities such as competitive swimming, sailing, kayaking and basic lifesaving courses.

What Will My Child Learn in SwimSafer?

* Click on the SwimSafer stages below to view Videos of the assessment sequence.

* SwimSafer Stage 1

The objective is to develop confidence and independence in the water, learn general and deep-end water safety. Techniques taught include the forward and backward movement, safe entry and personal water safety.

* SwimSafer Stage 2

General skill development including unassisted step entry into the water, sculling, feet first surface dives, personal water safety skills as well as in the aquatic environment. The goal is to achieve 25m of continuous swimming.

* SwimSafer Stage 3

Principles of personal survival, as well as basic rescue skills, are taught. Skills include sculling, underwater skills and the use of personal floatation device. Goal is to achieve 50m of continuous swimming.

* SwimSafer Stage 4 - Bronze

Development of child's stroke techniques is the focus here, along with coordinated breathing in deep water while swimming 100m. Principles of water craft safety will be introduced as well as continuous work on rescue and personal survival skills.

* SwimSafer Stage 5 - Silver

Fundamentals of diving will be introduced. Development of rescue skills and personal survival knowledge will also continue at more advance levels. Children will be required to demonstrate efficient stroke techniques to complete Silver.

* SwimSafer Stage 6 - Gold

Children will be required to perform strokes with greater ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over 400m. Rescue skills and water safety knowledge will focus on lifesaving readiness. Standing dive and personal safety skills will continue to be taught.

* Click on the SwimSafer stages above to view Videos of the assessment sequence.