INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

AlimannaoHills, Peñablanca/Atulayan Sur, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
Email address: [email protected] / isaptuguegaraocitygmail.com| contact number: 0936-193-1278
Learning Area Aquatic Recreational Activities Year Level Grade 12
No. of Hours: 4
Learning At the end of the chapter, the students
Objectives must be able to:
a. Outline recreational and water-
safety rules.
b. List key steps and movements in
learning swimming.
c. Create an instructional program
for swimming.

Aquatic Recreational Activities

Leisure is time spent for activities not related to work. It is your free time, that period
when youdo not nave to perform obligations such as household chores, school work, or office
tasks. Hence,time spent for life maintenance activities such as sleeping and eating are not
considered leisure.
Leisure is an essential part of human life. It is, in fact, ahuman right. The importance of
leisure is even recognizedby the United Nations through Article 24 of the UniversalDeclaration of
Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to restand leisure, including reasonable limitation of
working hoursand periodic holidays with pay." This right for leisure is thereason why working
hours in offices, factories, and other workplaces have limitsto give workers time for
themselves.The same is true in school administrators design schedules bearing in mind that the
students, too, need leisure and rest from school work.

While leisure is, indeed, an essential part of life, it is still important to ask: "What activities
dopeople usually spend their leisure time'

There are a variety of ways to spend one’s leisure time you can read books, surf the
Internet,play your favorite video games, and go to malls, among others. You can also spend time
with yourfamily or friends. One excellent means or spending leisure time is through recreation, an
activitythat usually requires physical engagement done for enjoyment and fun. Recreational
activities usuallyrefresh one’s mind and spirit. Examples of recreationalactivities are gaming,
traveling, singing, and creating arts andcrafts. Even sports can be considered leisure if these are
donenot for competition but for fun.

According to Amy Hurd and Denise Anderson, authorsof The Park and Recreation
Professional Handbook (2011),recreation also needs to have social value. Thus, they define
recreation as an activity that people engage in during their free time, that people enjoy, and that
people recognize as having socially redeeming values" The two authors also note that "
whilerecreation activities can take many forms, they must contribute to society in a way that
society deemsacceptable In other words, one can choose to engage in recreational activities that
contribute to society in a positive way. Doing so allows one to use his or her free time not only for
physical fitnessbut also to satisfy social needs.

In the first half of this book, you learned the importance of physical fitness to one's health
andwell-being. You then performed various dances which are also forms of recreation as long as
theyare done to enjoy and not as mandated activities to boost your physical and mental health.
Fromthis point forward, you will learn other ways to use your leisure time to promote physical
fitness. Asalready mentioned, you will explore in this unit various water activities.

Aquatic Recreational Activities

As the country is surrounded by and filled with variousbodies of water, Filipinos have a
variety of water formswhere they can engage in water-based recreational activities.The
Philippines's over 7 100 islands boast of beaches, lakes,rivers, and other natural water forms, not
to mention hundredsof swimming pools that have become quite accessible inmany cities and
provinces. Considering this abundance ofnatural and man-made bodies of water, it is not
surprising thatmany Filipinos choose to engage in water-based recreationalactivities.

Swimming

Swimming is propelling the body in the water through the combined movements of legs
and arms while floating. Recreational swimming is probably the most common water-based
recreationalactivity as it requires minimal use of equipment. What you need is a swimming venue,
your body,some swimming gear, and your swimming skills.

Recreational swimming is when one swims to have fun and to enjoy the water. It is
different fromcompetitive swimming where participants follow structured guidelines when it comes
to learning therequisite skills. Recreational swimming sessions, in contrast, are less structured
when it comes to learning the swimming skills

Swimming skills are important in many other water-based activities, which can be easily or
safelydone if you are an able swimmer

Kayaking
Kayaking is propelling a small boat called kayak by paddling a double-bladed oar paddle.
It canbe done in almost any body of water, including seas, lakes, rivers, and even in large pools.
Typically,a kayak can accommodate one paddler only, but there are some that can accommodate
up to threepaddlers. When loaded, the kayak "sits" low in the water.

People engage in kayaking for a variety of reasons. Aside from giving health-related
benefits, kayaking also allows people to navigate a body of water on their own, in the process
testing theirbalance, body coordination, and endurance while paddling.
Surfing

Surfing is a surface water sport which involves a person-called surfer-“riding” ocean

wavesusing a special board called surfboand. The surfer rides on the forward face of a moving
wave whichcarries him or her toward the shore. The most suitable waves for surfers are usually
ocean waves,although some bodies of water such as lakes and rivers can sometimes generate
waves that are strongand big enough tor surfing. Surfers can also use artificial waves created in
artificial wave pools.

Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding is another type of surface water sports which involves a person

commonlycalled wakeboarder-moving over the surface of a body of water while riding a special
board calledwakeboard. The wakeboarder, who uses techniques adopted from surfing and
snowboarding, can betowed ether by a motorboat or a closed-cable system. Wakeboarding is a
rapidly growing sport in thePhilippines and many other countries. It is also on the shortlist of
possible sports to be included in the2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Snorkeling

Snorkeling is swimming on or through a body of water wearing a snorkel, which is

composed ofa mask and a tube. In snorkeling, you swim only near the water surface so that the
tube connected toyour mouth is above it. This will allow you to breathe through your mouth when
you float underwater

Snorkeling is a fun activity, especially when done in natural bodies of water such as lakes
and seas. It allows you to see and observe underwater spectacles such as colorful corals and
schools offish.

Water Aerobics

Aerobics exercises done on land are also possible to be performed in water. Such exercises
are called aquatic or water aerobics. In water aerobics, people perform traditional workouts in
a shallowpart or a swimming pool. Some exercises are done in waist-high water, while some are
done in neck-high water.

Water aerobics is the best way to enjoy the water if you are not an able swimmer.
Moreover, engaging in water aerobics is an excellent alternative to performing land-based aerobic
exercises,as the latter promotes low-impact movement since the water supports your every action,
taking thepressure off of your muscles, bones, and joints. Water pressure also helps your heart in
moving bloodaround your body. Moreover, participants of water aerobics can usually exercise far
longer withoutgetting exhausted since water prevents Overheating.

Free Diving

Free diving is essentially a form of underwater diving wherein the individual performing it
relieson his own ability to hold his or her breath underwater until resurfacing. It does not involve
the useof any breathing apparatus. It has variations and other forms which serve different
purposes such as spearfishing, free diving photography, underwater football, underwater rugby,
etc. It is considered asboth a sport and a recreational activity.
Scuba Diving

Recreational scuba diving isbasically a variation of scuba diving forthe purpose of leisure
and enjoyment.Compared to the "technical" type of scubadiving which requires a greater levelof
training and experience and a morecomplex set of equipment, recreationalscuba diving uses basic
equipment onlyand does not require specialty training.However, before one can participate inthis
kind of recreation, he or she mustbe physically, mentally, and emotionallyfit. In contrast to free
diving, scubadiving in general involves the use of abreathing system, specifically, a scuba(a self-
contained underwater breathingapparatus).

Benefits of Water-based Recreations

Like any other physical activity, water-based recreations can have substantial health
benefits.Swimming, for instance, is an excellent aerobic physical activity. It improves one's
cardiorespiratory endurance and aerobic energy production. With regular aerobic physical
activities, chronic illnessessuch as cardiovascular diseases can be prevented.

Most water-based recreational activities also require muscle strength and endurance, such
ason white-water rafting and dragon boat racing. The body's flexibility is also needed as
smoothmovements of arm and back joints are essential in most water-based recreations.
Recreationalactivities such as these are perfect in testing and regulating one's physical fitness.

Aquatic recreational activities also help in toning thebody. Kayaking, for instance, helps
flatten your tummy.Paddling on both sides also builds up arm muscles whilesteering and guiding
the kayak, which requires the use ofone's legs, strengthens leg muscles.

Water-based recreations also relieve stress, therebyimproving one's mental and emotional
condition. All theseactivities enhance one's self-confidence and self-worth.Active recreation also
improves social interactions.

Hazards of Water-based Recreational Activities

While water-based recreational activities bring substantial health and mental benefits, they
alsopose serious hazards and health risks. The World Health Organization (WHO) categorized
thesehazards into physical, microbial, and chemical.

Physical Hazards

Physical hazards include drowning and injuries. Drowning is one of the unequivocal danger
of water-based recreational activities. Data from the WHO in 2014 rates drowning as the third
leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths worldwide. The WHO estimates 372 000
peopleworldwide die annually due to drowning.

Injuries can also happen when one performs water-based recreational activities. For
instance,people put their lives in danger when they dive or jump into waters of unknown depth.
They cansuffer fractures, concussions, or broken bones, among others. Slipping on wet surfaces,
especially around swimming pools is also a cause of injury. Discarded shards of glass and cans in
polluted bodies of water can also cause injury. Lastly, exposure to cold, heat, and sunlight can also
pose hazardthreats.

Microbial Hazards

Untreated sewage pumped into water bodies such as seas and rivers contaminate the
water, andcontaminated water puts people at risk for infections that can cause diseases such as
gastroenteritisand upper respiratory infection. In swimming pools, Viruses and bacteria that are
resistant tocommonly used pool disinfectants also put people at risk for various infections.

Chemical Hazards

Water contamination because of chemicals also poses serious threats to participants of

waterbased recreations. Chemical contamination in seas and rivers are caused by industrial
discharge. Inpools, chemical contamination is usually caused by soap residues and cosmetics.
These chemicalcontaminations may bring toxicological effects to Swimmers.

Aside from these hazards, there are also water bodies that pose threats because of the
organismsliving in them. Aquatic predators such as crocodiles and sharks may attack people.
Microscopicbacteria and viruses and other parasitic organisms may also cause serious threats to
one’s health.

Reducing and Preventing Hazards

The WHO suggests some solutions on how to reduce the risk of physical, microbial, and chemical
hazards posed by water bodies during water-based recreational activities. These are the following:

On Drowning and Injuries

1. The WHO believes that education is the key to prevent drowning and injuries.
 Teachingparticipants of water-based recreations about the risks will make them more
Cautious suchthat they will strictly follow safety protocols.
2. Informing them about basic life saving and first aid techniques will also help in case
anyuntoward incident does occur
3. Vigilant supervision must also be encouraged. Instructors, leaders, and other concerned
people must constantly keep an eye on participants, especially beginners and weak
swimmers.
4. To make the participants comfortable with water, they must be taught how to swim.
5. For organizers, developers, and owners of the swimming places, installing fences andother
safety devices will also prevent drowning and other accidents. Pool design andwarning
Signals must also be included.

On Infections and Microbial Risks

1. For microbial risks, the WHO encourages effective sewage discharge procedures to be
setup. Implementing an efficient management and award scheme on beaches will also help.
2. Swimming pool management must also apply only the appropriate levels of chlorine and
other disinfectants on pools. Routine pool maintenance procedures must be carried
out,monitoring the levels of disinfectants as well as the pH levels in pools. In case of
accidentalfaecal release, the pool must be emptied, disinfected, and cleaned. Filtering of
pool watermust also be done. In relation, pool nitres must be cleaned regularly.
3. In swimming pools, pre-swim showering must be done. Swimmers must be encouraged
todemonstrate good hygienicbehaviour such as on the use of the toilets.

On Chemical Exposure

1. In reducing the risk of chemical exposures on participants of aquatic recreations, the WHO
says monitoring and regulating industrialeffluents are the key solutions. To this end, it
willbe up to the government to oversee such monitoringand regulation. Concerned
government agencies, forinstance, must promulgate and implement rules andlaws in
relation to how industries discharge theirwaste. Developing damage limitation action plans
inthe event of chemical spills must also be done.
2. Pre-swim showering and good hygienic behaviourshould be encouraged by organizers and
observedby participants. House pools should also have goodventilation. Swimming pools
must also be regularlymaintained and cleaned.

References: Phisical Education and Health (Volume II)