Introduction
Water Safety Study
Survey of 1,834 water sports enthusiasts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (2026) – and what the DLRG’s drowning statistics reveal.
-
WATER SAFETY STUDYRead Article →Safety Guide Study Analysis
Six out of ten people who regularly spend time in, on or around water have already experienced a critical situation. More than a third go into the water without any flotation aid at all. And almost four out of five are convinced that schools and media address the topic of water safety far too little.
1. Chapter
Basics & Risks
Over 300,000 people drown every year. Most of them didn't see it coming - and most of it was preventable. This chapter explains how drowning actually happens, what risk factors to know, and what you can do before you ever enter the water.
-
BASICS & RISKSRead Article →Understanding Hydrodynamics: Currents, Surf And Water Movement
Water is never passive - it carries, pushes, and pulls. Beneath every calm surface, invisible forces are constantly at work, shaping currents, surf, and water movement in ways most people never notice. Understanding how water moves, why certain spots are far more dangerous than they appear, and how to recognise and respond to them can make all the difference when it matters most.
-
BASICS & RISKSRead Article →Dangerous River Currents: How To Spot Eddies, Weirs & Hidden Current Traps
In Germany, 153 people drowned in rivers and streams in 2025 (DLRG Drowning Statistics) - making flowing water the leading environment for drowning deaths. Currents in rivers are rarely uniform. Particularly in areas where the natural or man-made structure of the river changes, complex and often chaotic current patterns develop. This includes river bends, bridge pillars, weirs, locks, and other structures. It is precisely at these points that many accidents occur, because the forces at work there are difficult to detect and exceptionally strong.
-
BASICS & RISKSRead Article →Suction Currents At Weirs And Locks: The River Hazards That Are Hard to Escape
While dramatic phenomena like large hydraulic rollers or rapids often attract attention, the more common and realistic danger in many central European rivers lies at fixed structures such as locks, weirs, and water outlets. Here, eddies and vertical suction currents develop, making these spots particularly misleading for swimmers and water sports enthusiasts - hard to see and often limited to very small areas.
-
BASICS & RISKSRead Article →Tides In Theory: Ebb, Flow And Their Impact On Water Sports
The sea never stops moving. Tides shape every coastline, every current, and every decision you make in the water. Yet most people who swim, surf, or kitesurf have never truly understood them. This guide breaks explains tides work and why understanding them is the first step to staying safe.
-
BASICS & RISKSRead Article →Tides In Practice: How To Assess Coastal Dangers
The sea never stops moving and neither does the risk. Knowing how tides work is one thing. Recognizing what they actually do to you in the water is another. This guide takes tidal knowledge into the real world: what happens when tides, wind, and waves combine, how to spot the moment you are losing control, and what to do before it is too late.
-
BASICS & RISKSRead Article →Cold Water, Storms And Visibility: What Every Water Sports Enthusiast Needs To Know
Water safety is significantly shaped by external environmental conditions: Factors that affect not only the water itself, but also the body's ability to function, react, and make decisions. What makes them particularly dangerous is that they rarely occur in isolation. Instead, they interact in ways that can increase risk exponentially. While hydrodynamic processes determine how water moves, environmental and weather conditions affect physical resilience, perception, and reaction time - making them just as critical to understand.
