DROWNING DETECTION SYSTEMS
BECause your kids deserve the highest standard of safety available.
Even though your facility has highly diligent and caring aquatic staff watching over the welfare of those in water the risk of drowning is always present.
The truth is that anyone can drown, even if they are good swimmers, had swim lessons, are great athletes or celebrities, or are under responsible supervision.
This is because drowning is extremely difficult to detect even for trained eyes. It happens in seconds silently and without any distinguishable movements. Typically it just looks like a person swimming or playing underwater.
WAVE was selected by your facility because of their driven passion to provide you and your loved ones with the highest standard of aquatic safety available.
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The system uses proven patented technologies to provide your facility with a powerful new tool to dramatically reduce risk and keep swimming safe and fun.
WHat does wave do?
WAVE works in the background while lifeguards diligently watch over swimmers, just as they always do.
The system monitors swimmers in real time and accurately determines how long each swimmer's face is fully submerged and therefore unable to breathe.
We often liken using WAVE to having a stopwatch on every swimmer, timing exactly how long each remains underwater.
If any swimmer has been underwater for dangerous period of time WAVE immediately notifies the aquatic staff so they can quickly investigate and intervene if necessary.
HOW does it work?
Each swimmer is provided with a wearable which can be either a comfortable lightweight headset called Trackers, or a simple pair of clips that attach to most types of goggles. We call those Goggle Clips or simply, GCs.
Trackers are very easy and comfortable to wear. We've tested them on 1000s of swimmers and most forget that they're wearing them after just a few minutes.
Each Tracker uses extremely low-power radios to tell the WAVE system if the user's face is underwater and for exactly how long.
Like Trackers, GCs are very easy to use and attach quickly to most goggles. Once in place any pair of goggles now lets WAVE- and you- know exactly how long your swimmers remain underwater.
Swimming with Trackers has no impact on your child's enjoyment of the water. In truth, swimming remains just as much fun as it always was- only safer.
Trackers and Google Clips are easily stored and retrieved from the Tower. We designed the Tower to be so intuitive that even very young swimmers can get and return their Trackers and GCs without needing adult supervision.
Lifeguards and other aquatic staff wear special waterproof bracelets. The bracelets have no visuals so guards always keep their eyes on the water.
If WAVE detects that a swimmer may be at risk these bracelets will quickly vibrate to notify them of the event.
With bracelets on, even in a noisy environment lifeguards will always know if their immediate attention is required.
WAVE also alerts staff of a potential event with audio and visual alerts including a bright daylight viewable flashing strobe and a powerful speaker.
Some facilities may also use other options enabled such as automated text messages for remote notifications, automated 9-11 calling, and more. Ask your facility to learn more about the options they are currently using.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
“You, the parent, are your child's first teacher and his best teacher.” – Jacquie McTaggart
For WAVE to be truly effective it's very important that you make sure your child wears a Tracker or Goggle Clips when they're in the water*. It's also equally important to support your facility's efforts to enforce this protocol.
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Please help your child understand that WAVE is being used to make swimming as safe as it can be. They'll follow your lead and will quickly discover that wearing Trackers or Goggle Clips has no impact on having fun in the water. In just a short time they'll learn that wearing one will become as familiar as wearing a helmet while riding a bike.
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With your support WAVE will make your child's time in the water as enjoyable as it's always been– only safer.
If you have any questions or suggestions for us, please let us know.
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* For swimmers with special needs or unique circumstances that prevents them from wearing a Tracker or Goggle Clips please contact your aquatic director to determine a best course of action.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How was WAVE developed? Has it been tested?
WAVE was developed over several years by a team of passionate product designers, engineers, aquatic safety experts, aquatic directors and many lifeguards just like you. To learn more about WAVE and the company behind it please click here.
The system uses proven patent and patent-pending technologies, and has been successfully tested and demonstrated at nearly a hundred pools and lakefronts across the country and on thousands of swimmers.
We already have lifeguards. Why do we need WAVE?
A drowning can happen in just seconds. It is typically silent and without noticeable movement or actions by the victim. In reality it's nothing like what is depicted in movies or on TV. To most people a drowning victim simply looks like a person swimming or playing underwater. This makes it very difficult to detect, even for trained professionals.
Won't WAVE make lifeguards more complacent?
We have found that most guards feel less stress and pressure when WAVE is supporting their efforts to provide a safe swimming environment. We believe that having less stress means a healthier work environment which equates to more effective lifeguarding.
My family are good swimmers. Do they still need to wear a Tracker or GC?
Yes!
My swimmers don't go underwater. Should they still wear a Tracker?
Do swimmers really wear those Trackers? Don't they fall off?
We've worked on the Tracker design for over two years, testing amost 100 versions to arrive at a design that stays on securely during most swimming activities yet can be easily removed when leaving the water or exchanging with other users.
Should a Tracker fall off, it will float, and most swimmers intuitively put the Tracker back on.
Kids will be kids. Won't they resist wearing Trackers or intentionally create alerts?
Our take is that setting off the WAVE alert is no different from setting off a fire alarm and should be treated as such. For those pranksters that intentionally cause an alert, we have found that swift removal from the water corrects that behavior quickly.
Is WAVE going to replace lifeguards or reduce how many guards we have?
No!
WAVE is not designed as a solution to replace responsible human supervision.
We strongly support the use of lifeguards and believe that every aquatic facility and location should have responsible vigilant supervision present at all times whether they deploy WAVE or not.
Is wearing a Tracker or GC safe? What about those radio waves?
Does sharing Trackers increase the risk of spreading germs?
Our facility has a clear water pool. Why do we need WAVE?
Being able to see swimmers underwater is not the same as knowing if they are at risk.
Most drowning victims simply look like someone playing or relaxing below the surface. In fact drownings have occurred with other swimmers and lifeguards right next to the victim.
Also while your facility's water may be clear, lifeguards can be challenged by glare and distortion which can completely obscure a submerged body.
Having WAVE used at your facililty means that the risk of a potential event being missed is dramatically reduced. That's peace of mind for you, your children and the facility.
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