Would you like to get involved in Carmel College Waterwise and help our students develop their confidence and skills on the water?

We’re looking to build a strong group of Carmel parent Waterwise instructors and are inviting interested parents — particularly parents of Year 6 and Year 7 students — to consider completing the Pupuke Schools Waterwise Instructor Course in Term 4.

Becoming a Waterwise instructor is a fantastic way to support our students, get involved in an important part of the Carmel experience and spend time out on the water with the school community. You don’t need to be an expert sailor — the course is designed to provide you with the skills, knowledge and confidence required to support Waterwise activities.

Waterwise Instructor Course – Term 4, 2026

The course runs over several practical and theory sessions:

• Tuesday 13 October (4pm–8pm): Introduction, course aims, theory, rigging an Optimist, sailing, capsize drill and swimming in a buoyancy vest.
• Thursday 15 October (4pm–8pm): Safety craft, sailing and theory.
• Sunday 18 October (8.30am–12pm): Sailing and safety craft practice.
• Tuesday 20 October (4pm–8pm): Sailing, safety craft and theory.
• Thursday 22 October(4pm–8pm): Sailing, safety craft and theory.
• Date TBC (26–30 October): Assessment of sailing and safety craft skills, plus a group discussion with the NZ Waterwise examiner.

All sessions need to be attended.

We’d love to put together a strong Carmel parent contingent for the course, particularly with future Year 7 and Year 8 Waterwise programmes in mind.

If you are interested in becoming a Waterwise instructor, please register your interest by completing this online form. We will then coordinate a Carmel group and provide you with further information about the course.