Swim Guide

Safe Supervision Policy

Keeping kids safe starts with you!

Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre are committed to providing a safe aquatic environment for all users. Parents and guardians are responsible for the active supervision of children in their care. Centre staff will support and reinforce safe supervision and centre safety requirements but are not a replacement for parental supervision. The following safe supervision requirements are required to be adhered to

 

Children Aged 0–5 Years

Supervision Requirement: Always within arm’s reach.

  • Children under 6 years of age must be constantly supervised by a parent or guardian aged 16 years or over.
  • Upon entry, children under 6 will be issued a yellow wristband by reception staff.
  • The supervising adult must accompany the child in the water and always remain within arm’s reach.
  • Failure to maintain direct supervision may result in removal from the water or the facility.
  • Ratio: Maximum of 2 children (under 5 years) per 1 adult (aged 16 or over).

 

Children Aged 6–9 Years

Supervision Requirement: Always within sight.

  • Children under 10 years of age will not be admitted without a parent or guardian (aged 16 years or over).
  • The supervising adult must maintain constant visual contact with the child while in the centre.
  • The adult must remain in a position where the child is clearly visible, with no physical or structural barriers obstructing the view.
  • Supervising adults must remain attentive and avoid distractions, including the use of mobile phones or other personal devices.
  • If a child is assessed as a weak swimmer, they may be:
    • Directed to swim only in areas suitable for their ability, or
    • Required to have their parent/guardian within arm’s reach.
  • Ratio: Maximum of 4 children (6–9 years) per 1 adult (aged 16 or over).

 

Swimmers Aged 10 Years and Over

Supervision Requirement: Independent, but safety first

  • Swimmers aged 10 years and older are permitted to use the facility without direct parental supervision, provided they demonstrate sufficient swimming ability and confidence.
  • Staff may assess swimming ability and, if deemed necessary, require the swimmer to remain in designated safe swimming areas.
  • Where a swimmer shows signs of distress or limited ability, staff may contact a parent/guardian and require closer supervision.

 

Family Supervision Ratios

  • A single responsible adult (aged 16 years or over) may supervise a maximum of four (4) children under the age of 10.
  • This includes all children being supervised across both supervision categories (0–5 years and 6–9 years). Meaning any single responsible person can only have a maximum of 2 children under the aged of 6 in their care.
  • Ratios must always ensure effective and safe supervision if younger or weaker swimmers are present, a lower ratio is recommended.

Enforcement

Failure to comply with the supervision policy may result in removal from the water or facility to ensure the safety of all patrons.

Responsibility

Parents/Guardians

Responsible for the active and continuous supervision of children in their care according to this policy.

Centre Staff

Responsible for monitoring supervision compliance, issuing wristbands, communicating safety requirements, and intervening when inadequate supervision is observed.

Management

Responsible for ensuring this policy is implemented, communicated, and reviewed regularly to align with safety standards and industry guidelines.

Swim Attire

In the interest of public health and safety, only correct swim attire in pools and the following are required:

  • Please be aware that tight-fitting swim nappies are required to be worn by all children that are UNDER 3 years old. If they are 3 years old and fully toilet trained, then they are not required to wear Waterproof Aqua nappies.
  • Huggies (or similar disposable) swim pants must have aqua pants over the top.
  • No underwear, nappies, boxer shorts or cotton outerwear permitted in the water.
  • Board shorts must have a tight-fitted swimming brief underneath. No underwear.
  • All swimwear must be made of lycra/nylon and always worn in the water.
  • All swim attire to be tight fitting. Saggy, loose-fitting garments will not be permitted.
  • If you do not have the appropriate swim wear, you will be asked to leave the water, facility or swimming lesson.

IMPORTANT SWIM NAPPY POLICY

To help keep our pools clean and safe for everyone, please note the following:

  • All children under 3 years old are required to wear tight-fitting swim nappies.
  • If your child is 3 years old and fully toilet trained, swim nappies are not required.
  • If your child still wears a nappy at night, they are not considered fully toilet trained and must wear a swim nappy in the pool.
  • Huggies or similar disposable swim pants must be worn with tight-fitting aqua pants over the top. This ensures a secure fit and helps prevent accidents.

Accidents in the pool can lead to lengthy closures and impact all patrons. Your cooperation helps us maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone.

Thank you for your understanding and support!

Healthy Swimming

Steps to healthy swimming recommended by NSW Department of Health:

  • Don’t swim if you have had diarrhoea or vomiting in the past 2 weeks.
  • Don’t swallow pool water.
  • Do shower and wash thoroughly with soap before entering the pool.

Children who are not toilet trained are most likely to spread germs in the pool. To avoid accidents and pool closures please make sure of the following:

  • Go to the toilet before entering the pool.
  • Wear tight-fitting water proof aqua nappies at all times.
  • Change nappies regularly, not beside the pool but in the change rooms.
  • After changing the nappy, throw out the waste and wash your child and your hands thoroughly with soap before entering the pool area.

Swimming costumes for infants and waterproof aqua nappies are available for purchase at the reception.

Water Quality

We pride ourselves on water quality!

All bodies of water including the Splash Pad at Waves have chemical controllers that automatically dose the pools with the required disinfectant chemical and pH balancing chemical/gasses to maintain the pool water balance within the required operating chemical parameters.

Additionally, all indoor pools have ultraviolet light treatment systems which are part of the overall filtration system that controls chloramines which can cause eye irritation and respiratory irritations. 

We maintain our water quality by:

  • Performing manual pool chemical tests of all our pools.
  • Maintain records of all manual and automatic readings into our records management system.
  • Super chlorinated and backwashed according to a schedule based on pool patronage (bather load), or if contamination occurs (requiring the closure of pools for a period of time).

All pools are independently sampled regularly for Microbiological contamination, including:

  • Heterotrophic plate count (HPC)
  • Escherichgia coli (E.coli)
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa

To be able to assist our staff in achieving the best possible water quality at Waves, we ask the customers to do the following when attending the venue:

  • Shower before entering the water to remove cosmetics, perspiration, deodorant.
  • Ensure children have regular toilet breaks and wash their hands.
  • Children under the age of 3 or who are not fully toilet trained must wear an aqua nappy as per conditions of entry to the venue.