Water Competency: The 5 Skills That Can Save Your Life

Water competency means having the skills and knowledge to stay safe in and around water. The American Red Cross lists five core swimming skills: enter water that's over your head and return to the surface, float or tread water for at least 1 minute, turn over and turn around, swim at least 25 yards, and exit the water.

These five skills are the goal of good swim lessons, for children and adults alike. This page explains each one, how to check them safely, and why they don't automatically carry over to lakes, rivers and the ocean.

What water competency means

The Red Cross describes water competency as a way of improving water safety for yourself and others by avoiding common dangers, building basic water safety skills, and knowing how to prevent and respond to drowning emergencies. It has three parts (opens in a new tab):

1. Water smarts: knowing the risks and making safe choices
2. Swimming skills: the five core skills below
3. Helping others: watching children closely, spotting trouble and helping safely

The five skills in order

The Red Cross lists the swimming skills in this order. Think of them as what you'd need if you fell into deep water by surprise.

1. Enter water that's over your head, then return to the surface. If you fall or jump in, you first need to get back up to air.
2. Float or tread water for at least 1 minute. Staying at the surface gives you time to breathe, calm down and plan.
3. Turn over and turn around in the water. You need to be able to find the nearest exit, which may be behind you.
4. Swim at least 25 yards. That's about the length of many pools: enough to reach the side, a ladder or help.
5. Exit the water. Climbing out at a wall, ladder or shore, without steps, is a real skill.

The AAP's version for children is similar. It says all children should learn (opens in a new tab) to get back to the surface from underwater, propel themselves at least 25 yards and get out of the water.

Many people who "can swim" can't do all five

56%

In the same 2020 survey, 85% of Americans said they could swim. So many confident swimmers have gaps they don't know about.

Finishing lessons isn't the same as being competent, either. Water Safety USA notes that people who complete entry-level swim lessons, especially young children, may still not have the skills (opens in a new tab) for water competency, and they still need close, direct supervision.

Water smarts

The Red Cross lists sensible precautions for everyone near water, even if you're not planning to swim:

• Know your limits, including your fitness and any medical conditions.
• Never swim alone. Swim with lifeguards or water watchers present.
• Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket that fits your weight, size and activity. Always wear one when boating, whatever your swimming skill.
• Swim sober.
• Understand the dangers of hyperventilation and hypoxic blackout. CDC warns that holding your breath underwater for long periods can make you pass out and drown (opens in a new tab).
• Know how to call for help.
• Adjust for the water you're in: river currents, ocean rip currents, water temperature, shallow or unclear water, and underwater hazards.

Helping others

The third part of water competency is helping others without putting yourself in danger. The Red Cross lists:

• Paying close attention to children and weak swimmers you're supervising
• Knowing the signs that someone is drowning. See what drowning looks like.
• Knowing ways to help safely, such as "reach or throw, don't go." See reach, throw, don't go.
• Knowing CPR and first aid

Check your family's skills safely

Use our check to see which skills each person has and which to work on:

To check skills in the water, follow these rules:

• Go to a pool with a lifeguard on duty, or ask a certified swim instructor to assess the skills during a lesson.
• Start in water where the swimmer can stand, near the wall.
• Stay within arm's reach of young children and weak swimmers. The AAP calls this touch supervision.
• Only try skill 1 (deep water) with a lifeguard or instructor right there. Never test it alone, in open water, or at a home pool with no one trained to help.
• Stop if the swimmer is tired, cold or scared. You can try again another day.
• No breath-holding contests.

A skill counts when the swimmer can do it calmly and without help. If they need to grab the wall halfway, that's useful information, not a failure.

Water competency in different water

The Red Cross says to learn these five skills in every type of water you may encounter (opens in a new tab), such as home pools, oceans, lakes, rivers and streams. Skills learned in a calm pool are a starting point, not the finish line.

• Ocean. The National Weather Service says swimming in a pool is not the same as swimming at a surf beach (opens in a new tab), where waves, wind and currents can quickly use up your energy.
• Lakes and rivers. Currents, drop-offs and poor visibility make the same skills harder. See skills for open water.
• Cold water. The National Center for Cold Water Safety says that while someone is hyperventilating from cold shock, swimming even 6 to 10 feet is often impossible (opens in a new tab), even for good swimmers.

That's why the AAP says young children near water and non-swimmers (opens in a new tab) should wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets, and why everyone should wear one on a boat.

Building the skills in lessons

When you choose a program, ask how it teaches and checks these skills. Good programs build toward them on purpose. In the Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program, for example, Level 3 (Stroke Development) (opens in a new tab) is where guided practice helps students achieve water competency.

See how swim lesson levels work and how to choose a swim lesson program.

Remember that skills are one layer of protection, not a guarantee. Read do swim lessons prevent drowning? for why supervision, barriers and life jackets still matter.

What you can do today

1. Write down the five skills and check which ones each person in your family can do.
2. For any skill marked "not yet," ask your swim instructor to work on it, or find a class.
3. At your next lifeguarded pool visit, practice floating, turning around and climbing out at the wall together.
4. Learn the "helping others" part too: how drowning looks, and reach or throw, don't go.
5. Before a trip to a lake or beach, pack life jackets for children and weaker swimmers.