D - Don't drink alcohol
D stands for Don’t drink alcohol or take drugs when you’re thinking of going diving.
E - Equipment working properly
E is for Equipment always needs to be good and in good working order.
E - Exercise and fitness
E also for Exercise and keep fit if you’re going diving. Always have a health check to ensure you’re fit for the task.
P - Partner up & never dive alone
P is take a pal, partner or other person! Never dive alone.
Think DEEP
Kia Maanu Kia Ora
Gathering seafood and our indigenous connections to water
In 2019, nearly half of all drownings happened whilst gathering kaimoana and with Māori overrepresented in drowning statistics, Rob knew he had to do something. Through the Kia Maanu Kia Ora (Stay Afloat, Stay Alive) initiative, he has been providing dive programmes for Māori, to help them connect to Tangaroa and try to reduce these devastating statistics we hold in Aotearoa.
Buddy system
Share the Experience
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Always dive with a buddy, and constantly monitor each other. Employ a one-up, one-down system.
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It is not recommended by Police to dive alone. However, if free diving alone, it is recommended that the diver remarked or tethered to a surface float to show approximate position under water. If this is not possible, then at the very least the diver should always have someone on the surface actively watching movement and able to assist.
Weight belts
Monitor Your Weights
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Free divers should constantly review and adjust their weight in relation to the diving they are conducting. Ideally, free divers should manage their weight, to maintain a neutral hover point in the water approximately 30 - 40% of the depth to which they will dive.
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Use a quick release buckle belt.
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Divers should abandon their weights when they start to get into difficulty.
Staying safe
Holding Your Breath
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Do not make yourself hyperventilate before free diving. This can lead to shallow water blackout.
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Know your limitations, and do not take unnecessary risks.
Basic safety
Think DEEP:
D stands for Don’t drink alcohol or take drugs when you’re thinking of going diving.
E is for Equipment always needs to be good and in good working order.
E also for Exercise and keep fit if you’re going diving. Always have a health check to ensure you’re fit for the task.
P is take a pal, partner or other person! Never dive alone.
Underwater Safety
Free diving and snorkelling safety
We would encourage anyone looking to undertake this activity to get professional safety training beforehand like those offered by NZ Diving here
Current Numbers
2023 DROWNING FATAILITIES TO DATE
14
There have been 14 official drownings to date in 2023. This number is updated weekly.
2022 DROWNING FATALITIES
93
There were 93 official preventable drowning fatalities in the 2022 calendar year.
2023 SUMMER DROWNINGS
14
There have been 14 official drownings to date in the 2023 summer period.
2021 DROWNING FATALITIES
90
There were 90 official preventable drowning fatalities in the 2021 calendar year.
MALE DROWNINGS
85%
As a gender split, 84.95% of 2022 drowning fatalities were male. 15.05% were female.
2020 DROWNING FATALITIES
84
There were 84 official preventable drowning fatalities in the 2021 calendar year.