Summer is over, the docks are pulled, and the lifeguard chairs are in storage. For camp leaders, that makes right now the most important season for waterfront safety.
In the October issue of the American Camp Association's Camping Magazine, Sarah Veader, assistant vice president of risk control at Church Mutual, makes a case every camp director should read: Beyond the Lifeguard Chair: Building Layers of Aquatic Safety at Camp.
Her central point is simple and powerful. No single safeguard, not even a certified lifeguard, can carry the full weight of keeping swimmers safe. Real protection comes from layers: qualified staff, active supervision, skill verification, the right equipment, clear procedures, practiced emergency plans, and ongoing monitoring. When one layer misses something, another catches it.
At WAVE, we couldn't agree more. And we want to build on her framework by asking one question: what does each of those layers depend on, and where does it need backup?
Every human layer has a blind spot
The stakes are not abstract. The CDC estimates about 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings in the U.S. each year, and drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury death for kids ages 5 to 14. Drowning is often fast and silent. There is rarely splashing or shouting.
The article is honest about how hard it is to see trouble in time. At a busy waterfront, one guard may be scanning dozens of swimmers. Glare, blind spots, crowding, and constant movement all work against them. In lakes and ponds, murky water and uneven bottoms can hide a swimmer just below the surface, and docks, ramps, and inflatables create places no one can see under.
That's why the National Drowning Prevention Alliance recommends that designated water watchers rotate about every 15 minutes. Human attention fades, even in the most dedicated staff.
None of this is a criticism of lifeguards. It's a recognition of what eyes can and can't do. Every layer built on human observation shares the same limits: fatigue, distraction, and the simple fact that you can't watch everyone at once.
The layer that never blinks
This is where technology earns its place, not as a replacement for people but as a layer that doesn't get tired, distracted, or blinded by glare.
That's the layer the WAVE GUARDian System was built to add. Swimmers wear lightweight GUARDian Swimmer wearables that track submersion in real time. Every time a wearable goes under, an adjustable delay timer starts, set by each facility up to 30 seconds. If a swimmer stays under too long, the GUARDian Hub triggers vibrating bracelets on every lifeguard on duty at the same moment.
The system watches the guards, too. Lifeguard tags attach to a guard's clothing or rescue equipment, so when a guard goes into the water, the other guards are alerted automatically. If the rescue continues, spoken-word alert broadcast across the facility to active your Emergency Action Plan and provide the support your guards needs when seconds counts.
Because GUARDian tracks the wearable, it doesn't depend on water clarity, or how crowded the swim area is. It works in pools, lakes, and rivers, and it needs no permanent installation.
Think about the article's example of a typical afternoon swim. A camper passes a swim test, is assigned the right area, and swims under certified guards, a water watcher, and regular buddy checks. Each layer covers a different failure point. Detection technology adds one more: if a swimmer slips under while every set of eyes happens to be somewhere else, an alert goes out anyway.
We want to be clear about what this layer is not. It isn't a reason to hire fewer guards, skip skill verification, or relax supervision. The article warns against treating qualifications as negotiable, especially during the ongoing lifeguard shortage, and we agree. Technology works best when it supports a strong team, not when it covers for a thin one.
The article also makes a point that applies to equipment as much as people: being certified isn't the same as being ready for your site. The same is true for any safety tool. It only adds protection if it's part of your procedures, your training, and your drills.
Your off-season checklist, plus one
Veader's article includes a practical preseason checklist. Here's our condensed take on it, with one item added.
- Verify skills, not just cards. Confirm each aquatic staff member can perform rescues and emergency procedures at your specific site.
- Define active supervision. Spell out scanning zones, blind spots, headcounts, and buddy checks.
- Add a designated water watcher. Rotate about every 15 minutes, make them easy to identify, and consider giving them a reaching pole.
- Make aquatic shifts phone-free. Use radios for communication instead.
- Keep training going. Run rescue and missing-swimmer refreshers all season, not just at orientation.
- Know your water. Inspect depth, visibility, currents, and hidden spots under docks, ramps, and inflatables.
- Check equipment and AED access. Make sure rescue gear is close, inspected, and appropriate.
- Practice the emergency action plan. Everyone should know who calls, who searches, who clears the water, and who meets responders.
- Talk to your insurance professional. Make sure coverage matches your pool, natural water, and boating activities.
- Plus one: build detection into the system. If you use drowning detection technology, test it before campers arrive, train staff on what an alert means and who responds, and include it in your missing-swimmer drills.
The planning window is the safety window
Veader puts it perfectly: "the planning window is the safety window." Problems found in October can be solved with time, budget, and training. Problems found in July get solved under pressure.
The safest waterfronts aren't the ones with the biggest staff or the newest pool. They're the ones that know no single layer is perfect and build backup around every one.
If you're reviewing your aquatics program this off-season, we'd love to hear what's working for you. And if you want to talk about where detection technology could fit in your layers, book a free water safety consultation with the WAVE team.
Source: Sarah Veader, "Beyond the Lifeguard Chair: Building Layers of Aquatic Safety at Camp," Camping Magazine, American Camp Association, October 2026. Statistics cited in the article are from the CDC and the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. WAVE is not affiliated with ACA or Church Mutual.