Y Talk: The Importance of Water Watchers

In our last post, you learned that drowning is by and large silent—this is why Water Watchers are so important!

A Water Watcher is an adult assigned to monitor the water. While there may be other adults present who are also present, this person’s role is to stay completely undistracted and monitor the water. This means no phones, no books, no conversation and no quick runs to the cooler for water or a snack!

This job can be taxing, so the Y suggests adults take turns as Water Watcher every 15-20 minutes. You can also download our free Water Watcher tag here. Passing the tag to each adult helps remind adults that they’re “on duty” and reminds other adults not to distract the Water Watcher until their turn is over.

Click here to learn more about the Y swim lessons. Follow this blog for more water safety tips throughout Water Safety Month for more!