Published Thu, 20 Nov 2025
From 1 to 14 December, every Learn to Swim class at our five aquatic centres will include the Float to Survive program – a free water safety initiative that teaches swimmers how to stay calm and float in deep water.
Water safety is at the heart of what we do. So we’re proud to introduce Float to Survive, a program that focuses on one of the most important survival skills: floating calmly in deep water during an emergency.
This simple survival technique can make all the difference - helping swimmers stay buoyant, conserve energy and remain safe while waiting for assistance.
The campaign is led by Bruce "Hoppo" Hopkins - Bondi’s Head Lifeguard and star of Bondi Rescue. With more than 30 years' experience, and hundreds of rescues to his name, Hoppo brings unmatched expertise to this vital initiative.
The program will be introduced into the first five minutes of every Learn to Swim class across our aquatic centres.
Whether your child is just starting out or building advanced skills, Float to Survive offers age-appropriate practice that builds confidence and safety - at no additional cost.
Hoppo is coming to Open Day!
To celebrate this initiative, we’re excited to welcome Hoppo to Gunyama Park Aquatic & Recreation Centre during our Open Day on Friday 6 December:
9:30am to 12:30pm - catch Hoppo every 30 minutes at the 25m pool for bite-sized Float to Survive talks. He’ll share tips, answer questions, and point you to our team for Learn to Swim bookings. Plus, enjoy roaming meet-and-greets and photo ops at the Aquatics stand
1pm - join Hoppo at the Aquatics stand for a live Q&A session
1:10pm and 1:20pm - watch Float to Survive in action! We invite the public to join our community participants take the 25m pool for two special demonstrations, with live commentary from Hoppo himself
Want to come along to our Summer Open Day?
Join us for our Summer Open Day with FREE entry at all City of Sydney aquatic and fitness centres on Saturday 6 December!
Members and patrons can visit as normal, while non-members can register below to join the fun.
