In this session we practice floating skills in deep water and learn how to make a float with a buoyant aid or with our clothes, swim with that float, deflate and inflate the float again. Remove any heavy boots or coats but retain the rest of your clothing. Stay as still as possible by:
1. Floating
   This self rescue technique helps you stay around until recuers come. Use a bouyant aid or inflate your clothes (see below).

2. Sculling
   Also known as "sculling," the back float is preformed by lying flat on your back with your feet relaxed and slightly apart. Your arms are at your sides moving slowly side-to-side. If you feel yourself sinking, raise your chin putting your head further back in the water. The key to effective back floating is to relax your body. Very little motion should be required to remain afloat.

3. Treading Water
   Get into a sitting position in the water. Rhythmically move your arms back and forth at the same time you move your legs like on a bycycle. Care should be taken to keep the head above water as much as possible.

HELP (Heat Escape Lessening Posture)

This practice covers the recommended water rescue procedure for performing the heat escape lessening posture (HELP) position. You need a floting device to perform this technique.

If you are wearing a lifejacket or PFD (Personal Flotation Device) or buoyant clothing, your survival time can be increased by adopting the HELP position. This position somewhat protects the core areas of the body from rapid heat loss.

1. Keep your legs together
2. Press both arms against your upper body
3. Keep your head out of the water

   You sometimes may be immersed in cold water for prolonged periods of time or shore is too far away, rescue is not imminent, no boat is available to get into or on top of, and no flotsam is available. You need to assume a defensive posture to conserve heat and increase survival time.

Huddle

The HUDDLE position is useful for small groups wearing lifejackets. It works on the same principle as the H.E.L.P. position by reducing the loss of body heat.

Get your group to put on clothes and lifevests. If you don't have lifevests, use a buoyant aid like a rescue ring or such. Let them float in a "huddle" position to practice staying afloat as a group in case of an emergency.

The younger children get in the middle of the group while everyone else gets as close as possible, holding on to one another by wrapping their legs together and putting their arms around their "buddies."

This activity will stress the importance of staying in a group, which helps everyone stay warm and enables rescuers to see people in a large body of water.

1. Hold on to buoyant bits
2. Press the sides of your bodies together
3. Put your arms around each other's backs at waist or shoulder level

Inflate the clothes you wear

If you do not have a life jacket and are stranded in the water in an emergency situation you can make your own emergency water flotation device using your clothing. Lifeguards and Boy Scouts practice this technique by removing clothing such as pants or shirts while underwater.

By tying a knot in the arms or legs of your clothing you can raise them above the water to fill them with air which will enable them to float.

This may not work with all clothes, you may have to experiment a bit. Rainwear is probably best. Other clothing might work, but air may leak faster. A tight collar is an advantage. Long sleeves hold more air.

Put your mouth inside the collar but keep your nose out. Now inhale with the nose, then exhale through the mouth into your garment. Soon it fills with enough air to keep you afloat.

Inflate your trousers

Remove your trousers while swimming in deep water. Tie knots into the lower legs. Catch some air in a pair of trousers with legs tied and the waist held open or inflate at the waist until both legs are full.

Float with this buoyancy aid for 1 minute. Re-inflate as required. Swim 15 meters using the inflated trousers for support, then show how to reinflate them while using them for support.

Float with a Buoyant Aid

Use anything that floats and is big enough to support your weight. A buoyant aid like a bucket or bag or a canister is a good start.

Trap as much air as possible in the buoyant aid and hold it to your chest so you can remain afloat. The skill is in holding your float so the air doesn't escape.

Another method is to use larger floats, like rescue rings, foam matresses, and the like. See if you can get on top of them. Keep your balance and relax on top of the float.