STA Level 2 Open Water Safety
Aviemore (Highlands) • 2 days in-person • Tutor-assessed • Small groups
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Course at a glance:
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Course information:
This qualification is for individuals responsible for planning, supervising, and overseeing open water activity safely in real-world conditions.
Typical attendees include:
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Venue / facility staff responsible for open water activity delivery
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Group leaders coordinating organised dips / swims (including sauna, cold dips communities, Mountaineering Leaders)
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Volunteers supporting structured community sessions
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Event support staff who need a recognised open water safety framework
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Outdoor / fitness professionals supervising open water activity (not coaching technique)
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Swim clubs / triathlon clubs needing staff who can manage open water sessions safely
This course is not designed for:
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People looking for a personal “confidence in open water” experience (this is a safety qualification)
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Non-swimmers / anyone not competent and confident in open water
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People who want a coaching qualification (stroke / technique progression and coached session delivery)
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People who only want a single-environment qualification (this course applies to a variety of open water environments and conditions)
STA’s intent is to prepare learners to plan and supervise safer open water sessions, apply risk assessment in real conditions, and demonstrate practical safety and incident response readiness.
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Eligibility must be confirmed before Day 1. All prerequisites must be met in advance.
Minimum age
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You must be 16 years old or over (at the time of assessment).
Open water swimming competency (required)
You must be a competent and confident open water swimmer. As a minimum you must be able to:-
Swim continuously for 10 minutes in open water
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Submerge / surface dive confidently in open water
Important note about certification
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All prerequisites must be in place before the course starts. Certificates cannot be issued if prerequisites aren’t met before Day 1, and post-course submissions aren’t accepted.
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On completion, you will be able to plan and supervise safer open water activity with structured oversight and practical incident readiness, including:
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Carry out dynamic risk assessment and make safer decisions as conditions change
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Set up and supervise organised sessions using clear boundaries, briefings, and group management
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Recognise developing problems early (e.g. cold response, fatigue, panic, changing conditions) and intervene appropriately
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Apply practical open water safety and rescue skills as required within the course scope
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Produce documented evidence of safe practice (e.g. risk assessment and post-session review)
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This is a practical, interactive course focused on open water safety oversight - planning safer sessions, supervising groups, and developing real-world incident readiness.
Expect:
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Short theory blocks and guided discussion (risk, decision-making, supervision)
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Scenario-based planning and dynamic risk assessment
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Practical safety skills in an open water environment (including rescue skills within course scope)
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Group management, briefings, boundaries and session oversight
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Debriefs focused on what changed, what was noticed early, and what actions reduced risk
Delivery:
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In-person: 2 days (16 contact hours) in Aviemore
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This qualification is tutor-assessed and includes both theory and practical elements.
Assessment includes:
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Practical assessment of key open water safety skills (including rescue skills and CPR within the course scope)
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A short written element (including a risk assessment)
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A closed-book multiple choice question paper (MCQ)
Certification (STA digital certificates):
Certificates are issued by STA as digital certificates. Please allow up to 10 calendar days from your course completion for certification to be issued.
If it hasn’t arrived after this time, the most common cause is an email / name mismatch with your STA learner account.Resits:
If you don’t pass an element, you can resit that element once within 6 weeks. Resits are subject to an additional fee.-
This course is practical and safety-focused. There is no fixed compulsory kit list. Safe open water practice requires selecting equipment appropriate to the venue, temperature, and activity.
Bring what you can from the list below. If you’re missing something, still attend - we’ll work with what’s available.
Theory / classroom
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Pens / pencils (a couple of colours helps)
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Blank paper
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Tablet / laptop (optional)
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Clipboard or something firm to write on
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Refreshments / snacks
In-water activities
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Swimming costume / trunks (spares if you have them)
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Wetsuit (if you use one)
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Swim cap
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Goggles
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Footwear suitable for in-water work
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Towel(s)
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Flip flops / crocs
Dry land / site activity
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Waterproofs
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Appropriate footwear for site visits (some sites are rocky / uneven)
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Warm layers (especially after in-water activities)
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Hat, gloves, scarf
Full kit list PDF
Prefer a printable list? Download the suggested kit list (PDF)
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Qualification is the starting point. Ongoing experience builds real-world judgement across changing conditions and participant groups.
Common next steps include:
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Build a simple session oversight toolkit: briefing template, boundary plan, roles/responsibilities, and an emergency action plan (EAP) that fits your venue
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Create a repeatable risk assessment approach you can adapt quickly to conditions (temperature, wind, flow, visibility, access/egress, numbers, capability mix)
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Run short post-session reviews to improve consistency, decision-making and incident prevention
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If you support organised groups, formalise your operating procedures (how you screen participants, manage ratios, handle late arrivals, stop a session, escalate concerns)
Regulated progression options:
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Open Water Swimming Coaching (STA Level 2) - if you want to move from safety oversight into coaching delivery (structured sessions, progression and technique)
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Additional safety/operations CPD that strengthens supervision and prevention (e.g. incident prevention, human factors, operating procedures)
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Bookable dates & prices:
Aviemore dates, venue and prices - Prerequisites apply for these course and must be confirmed before Day 1 (see prerequisites above)
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Frequently asked questions
Aviemore dates and venue delivery
Frequently Asked Questions:
Training policies & terms
Booking a place confirms you’ve read and accepted our training terms (payment, cancellations/transfers, safety decisions, conduct and data).
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