Strategic actions of Safe Water Sports
1. Educational Program:
Skills Labs:
A) Educational Program of Safe Water Sports: "Safety in the Sea, Water Sports, and Swimming Pools" has been included in the "Skills Labs" of the Ministry of Education, which is part of the compulsory curriculum for primary and secondary education.
B) E-learning Platform of Safe Water Sports: The electronic platform created by the Organization is aimed at Kindergarten, Primary School, and Hi-School students. It includes a series of recommended activities that have been approved by the Ministry of Education as an autonomous educational program. These activities combine learning with entertainment and cover the essential knowledge that children need to ensure their safety in water, including swimming pools, beaches, the sea, and water sports. These program activities are interdisciplinary (e.g., arts, language, social education, geography, physics, foreign languages, mathematics, computer science, etc.) and can be implemented as part of the school curriculum at any time, in parallel with the Skills Labs.
C). Educational Bag: At the end of the year, the Organization organizes the annual conference of Musqueteers in Athens, where 13 missions participate, one from each region of the country that stood out by participating in the educational program. The sponsor can choose to support a school by gifting an educational suitcase, allowing children to learn about their safety through play!
2. Informational system:
Safe Water Sports has provided, at absolutely no cost to the Greek public, an Information and Inspection Control System to the Hellenic Coast Guard. This system covers a wide range of activities that take place at sea. Through this system, which is now operational in all port authorities across the country as well as at the central agency (Ministry of Shipping and Coast Guard Headquarters), the port authorities now manage electronically:
- All permits issued for water sports and recreational businesses.
- Lifeguard coverage for beaches.
- Inspections and examinations carried out by the Coast Guard from the sea (using Coast Guard vessels) or on land.
- Violations and fines imposed.
- The performance of the port authorities and potential gaps in inspections nationwide.
- The availability of lifeguards on beaches where their presence is mandatory.
All of this is managed directly, in real-time, and transparently, without requiring any communication or documentation between the central agency and regional port authorities.
In February 2018, Safe Water Sports signed an agreement with the Cyprus Police Coast Guard to expand its operations to the island, allowing the safety net of the Organization's initiatives to extend beyond Greek borders.
3. Safe Swimming Program:
For the first time in our country, Safe Water Sports has designed and created a comprehensive swimming program for children aged 3 months to 14 years, with the support of the Deputy Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Education & Religious Affairs, and under the auspices of the Hellenic Swimming Federation and the Greek Swimming Coaches Association. This program has been included in the "Skills Labs" of the Ministry of Education, which is part of the compulsory curriculum for primary education, with the aim of ensuring the quality of learning in swimming pools through the enjoyment of water and sensitizing children about their safety in the water.
The program offers a series of certificates that will demonstrate the children's progress through a total of twelve stages. It is aimed at schools that conduct swimming lessons in the 3rd and 4th grade during the school year. The purpose of creating this program is to serve as a supplementary handbook and aid for Physical Education teachers and swimming/sports clubs in Greece/private swimming pools.
4. Safe Water Sports app:
Safe Water Sports has developed the Safe Water Sports app, available in both Greek and English, which allows citizens to easily access information about:
- All legal water sports centers in Greece and Cyprus.
- The 3,350+ accessible beaches that the Organization has jointly mapped with the Hellenic Coast Guard, including reading their characteristics (e.g., lifeguard presence, deep/shallow waters, beach type, organization, etc.).
- Certified Water Sports Centers.
- All hospitals and health centers.
- Port authorities.
- Marinas and, in general, locations where vessel mooring is permitted, along with the services they offer.
- Current safety regulations (legislation) for each water sport and sea activity.
- Daily cruises, etc.
Additionally, citizens can:
- Report any illegal activity at sea that comes to their attention and inform the Coast Guard for necessary intervention.
- Comment on and rate a business.
5. Awareness campaign for the elderly:
Every year, on average in Greece, 350 people lose their lives in aquatic environments, of which 80% of the individuals who lose their lives in our seas are over the age of 60. Safe Water Sports, under the auspices of the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy, the Hellenic Coast Guard, with the support and assistance of the Ministry of Health and the Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, has created an awareness campaign for the safety of senior citizens in the sea. This campaign consists of a series of tips and informational spots (broadcasted on television and in the media with more than 3,000 views during the prime time daily from June to September) for safe swimming and their stay at the beach. The informational campaign, which is carried out by healthcare professionals and presented to senior citizens through municipalities, senior citizens' centers (KAPI), and healthcare service providers, aims to prevent drownings and reduce accidents that occur annually in our country.
6. Observatory of accidents:
Safe Water Sports has created "Observatory of accidents in the Aquatic Environment of Greece," an Information System that collects and processes information related to accidents that occur in this environment (the sea and inland waters such as rivers, lakes, swimming pools, etc.). For each event, the system records the time, location, conditions, causes, victims' demographic data, and many other useful pieces of information. These data help us understand the causes and conditions under which accidents happen and make decisions to strengthen prevention. The study and processing of the Observatory's Accident data serve as the basis for the National Plan for safety in our country's aquatic environment.
In 2021, for the first time in Greece, the organization released a special printed and electronic version (1st Annual Report) with statistical analysis of this data, which was also translated into English by the British Embassy in Athens.
7. Certification of water sports centers:
Safe Water Sports, in cooperation with TÜV AUSTRIA HELLAS, an independent inspection and certification body, has joined forces with the primary goal of enhancing the safety of citizens in water sports. The two parties have created a Private Certification Standard for Water Sports Rental Businesses (Watersports Certified Quality). Under this standard, corresponding businesses can obtain certification if they meet specific safety requirements and receive the "Watersports Certified Quality" quality mark.
The goal of this Private Protocol is to become the first and most specialized Greek Private Compliance Control Scheme for the Marking and Promotion of approved and compliant water sports rental businesses in accordance with relevant requirements.
The Sponsor of water sports Certification will cover 50% of the certification expenses for each business in Greece. Sponsorship of certification is a significant incentive for water sports businesses to adopt the standard and provide their customers with higher-quality and safer services.
8. Placement of informationa signs on beaches:
In collaboration with local municipalities, we install informational signs on beaches across Greece. These signs include the maritime traffic code with symbols we have created for the beach, instructions, key safety rules for the sea and water sports, emergency contact numbers, and the sponsor’s logo. Currently, Safe Water Sports signs are installed on approximately 500 beaches:
- 3 beaches in the Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni
- 7 beaches in the Municipality of Saronikos, Attica (Agios Nikolaos Lagonisi, Galazia Akti, Saronida, Mavro Lithari, Alikes Anavyssos, and Palaia Fokaia)
- 16 beaches in the Municipality of Mykonos (Platis Gialos, Panormos, Elia, Super Paradise, Paradise, Paraga, Ornos, Kalafatis, Agia Anna, Psarou, Agios Ioannis, Agrari, Ftelia, Lia, Agios Sostis, Kalo Livadi)
- 450 beaches in the Region of Central Greece
