A dip in the University of Otago’s flume, a circulating channel of water unique in the southern hemisphere, was on offer following a talk by Prof Chris Button.
Prof Button spoke about a study involving 66 children conducted last summer, where researchers looked into how best to teach children water safety.
This was through a combination of teaching in swimming pools and in open water environments, he said.
"We ran a before and after comparison in their skill and knowledge, and we were really happy with the results.
"We’re actually advocating that you should do more teaching outside."
Outdoor conditions could be replicated in the flume, where water speed could be altered to between 0.3 to 3.6 metres per second.
"It’s very much like a river or a rip in terms of the feeling of flowing water."
After the talk, about 20 children took the opportunity to try out the flume.
They practised the best response to being caught in a rip.
This was to relax, signal for help and swim to the side rather than try to swim against it, he said.
"This was a great opportunity to combine what we’d been doing over the summer, and giving them a bit of practical experience as well as a bit of fun."
