I'm a dad and a swim teacher. This is my urgent advice about lessons in winter

"It's like not putting a seatbelt on your child for a few months," James warns, as he shares some harrowing close calls.

I have kids, so I completely understand the challenges of continuing swim lessons through winter.

It involves leaving the house, often in after-school hours when the days are shorter, and the cool nights come sooner.

It’s cold when you leave the swimming pool and sometimes you need to resort to some of those magical parenting skills – cheerleader, negotiator, briber – to even get your kids into the car in the first place.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. 

RELATED: Swimming expert says blue swimsuits are dangerous

"All kinds of water-related horror stories"

It may feel hard, but I want to assure you it’s well worth the effort. I liken dropping out of swim lessons during winter to suddenly letting a child ride in the car without a seatbelt for a few months and hoping for the best.

Over my 20 years in swim schools, I have seen and heard all kinds of water-related horror stories – some that have showcased how swimming lessons can save a life and others that have been frighteningly close to tragedy, reminding us that “it won’t happen to me” just doesn’t apply.

For example, while on holidays in Queensland, I was watching a seven-year-old clinging to a noodle at a resort pool, drifting into the deep end. He then lost his grip on the noodle. His parents were not in the pool and didn’t see it happen.

As he slipped under and struggled to keep his head up, I went in to help him and return him to safety.

Swim teacher James Bradley with his son, Dan. Image: supplied

RELATED: My child ‘watched’ for her first two swim lessons

"This story could have ended differently"

Fortunately, everything ended up ok. The parents came past later and thanked us and commented on how well our own kids (six and eight at the time) were swimming and I explained they had been doing lessons since they were very young, all year round.

This story could have ended differently, and unfortunately, sometimes drownings happen so quickly and silently that nobody sees a thing.

In contrast, one of my regular students, just three years old, recently fell into a local creek. He was exploring with his dad and, after many verbal warnings, he got too close to the edge and slipped in.

As his dad ran to his son’s rescue, he witnessed him use his arms to paddle, his legs to kick and he blew bubbles; all skills he had learnt during his weekly lessons at JUMP! Swim School since he was six months old.

He was able to keep afloat until he was safely pulled out of the creek, exclaiming with great glee and pride that he had saved himself when he recounted to his mum what had happened.

James at work. Image: supplied

"It takes just two weeks to lose skills"

I could harp on about the long list of positives for continuing swim lessons through winter – that it’s a great indoor winter activity, the pools are heated, it’s great for a kid’s fitness and development, their immune system and so the list goes on.

Instead, though, I want to simply say this: swimming is the only sport that once learned can help save a life. It takes just two weeks of missed lessons for young children to start losing swim skills.

Time and time again us swim teachers observe students who have a break in winter and are not as confident around water when summer comes around.

I also want to remind parents that drowning risks and hazards don’t take a break in winter. We’re surrounded by bodies of water – pools, baths, dams, creeks, lakes. They are omnipresent and they don’t disappear just because the weather is colder.

Please, if there is one activity you continue to leave the house for during winter, make it swimming lessons. I wish that no child and parent would ever have to experience the horror of a water scare or, even worse, the tragedy of a drowning. But unfortunately, accidents happen.

The only thing we can do is give our kids the skills to get themselves out of a dangerous water situation or at the very least, keep themselves afloat for a few crucial seconds that can make all the difference.

Originally published as I'm a dad and a swim teacher. This is my urgent advice about lessons in winter