Drowning Prevention Auckland / Aotearoa

What Drowning Prevention Auckland / Aotearoa does

Drowning Prevention Auckland (DPA) is a registered charity founded in 1994 in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, New Zealand, operating as the regional lead agency for drowning prevention education, research, and advocacy. Its core technology is the 15 Water Competencies framework and the Float First survival methodology, delivered through a free eLearning platform, classroom resources (including the WAI Survival Guide aligned to the NZ Health and Physical Education curriculum), the Layers of Protection framework for early childhood, and a network of DPA Lifejacket Hubs at high-risk beaches. The organization serves individuals, families, schools, workplaces, Māori communities, and new-to-NZ migrants across Tāmaki Makaurau, with a sister entity — Drowning Prevention Aotearoa — extending programs nationwide.

The business model is hybrid charity/commercial: most services (eLearning, lifejacket borrowing, school programs, community workshops) are free to the public, funded through donations and Auckland Council grants, while revenue is generated from paid Workplace Water Competency training, Aquatics First Aid courses, and Inland Water Safety consultancy services sold to councils and land managers. Distribution is multi-channel: physical (Lifejacket Hubs, community events, school programs), digital (self-serve eLearning), and direct sales (workplace training and webinars). Strategic partnerships with Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Te Kawerau ā Maki, Waipū Police, Waipū Cove Surf Life Saving Club, and the Ministry for Primary Industries provide both delivery capacity and co-funding.

The organization employs roughly 20 staff and is governed by a Board that was refreshed with five new members in 2026. Recent initiatives include the November 2025 remote Lifejacket Station at Te Henga Bethells Beach (a world-first, in partnership with Te Kawerau ā Maki), the 10-year anniversary of the Uretiti Beach Crab Fishing Workshop, and the 2026 World Drowning Prevention Day event co-hosted with Surf Life Saving New Zealand. No funding rounds, acquisitions, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the input data.

Name

Drowning Prevention Auckland / Aotearoa

Legal name

Drowning Prevention Auckland

Website

https://dpanz.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Drowning Prevention Auckland is a 1994-founded New Zealand charity that delivers drowning prevention education, research, and advocacy across community, workplace, and education channels, serving individuals, schools, Māori, migrants, and workplaces via eLearning, Lifejacket Hubs, and paid training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drowning Prevention Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Safety, Lifeguarding & Training Services (Staffing, Certification) (THAAABAL), Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF), Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness) (EDAAAFAJ)

Keywords

• Drowning prevention education
• Water safety training
• Aquatic safety programs
• Water competency training
• Community water safety

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Funding: Registered charity funded through donations and support from organizations like Auckland Council. Services are provided free to the public.
2. Government Support: Funding and support from Auckland Council as the lead agency for drowning prevention education in Tāmaki Makaurau
3. Workplace Training Services: Paid workplace water safety training and consultancy services for organizations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Drowning Prevention Auckland delivers free water safety education through a multilingual eLearning platform built on the proprietary 15 Water Competencies framework and Float First survival methodology, complemented by physical lifejacket borrowing hubs, school curriculum-aligned teaching resources, paid workplace training, and inland water safety consultancy for councils and land managers. The charity serves individuals, families, schools, workplaces, and communities across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and, via its sister organisation Drowning Prevention Aotearoa, across the rest of New Zealand.

Product overview

Drowning Prevention Auckland / Aotearoa operates primarily through an eLearning platform offering modular water safety education courses, complemented by community programs and workplace training services. The core product is the eLearning platform, which hosts multiple course modules covering water safety across the lifespan — from early childhood through adults — including specialized content for Māori communities and multilingual versions for Mandarin and Korean speakers. Supporting offerings include the Float First program (with multilingual resources), DPA Lifejacket Hubs, Workplace Water Competency Training, Aquatics First Aid courses, the SPLASH Holiday Programme for children, and Inland Water Safety Consultancy services for councils and land managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eLearning Platform Online learning platform providing water safety education through video lessons, interactive modules, and quizzes, with free registration and multiple course offerings for early childhood, children, youth, adults, rock fishing, and Māori community audiences.
• Float First Program Water safety program emphasizing flotation-first response techniques, providing downloadable multilingual resources and lesson plans for various age groups.
• DPA Lifejacket Hubs Community program allowing people to borrow lifejackets for free from DPA Lifejacket Hubs located at high-risk beaches for water activities.
• Workplace Water Competency Training Workplace training sessions providing water safety education and water competency development for employees, tailored for various work environments.
• Aquatics First Aid First aid training specific to aquatic environments and water-related emergencies.
• SPLASH Holiday Programme Water competency holiday programme for children teaching water survival skills including propulsion, safe entry and exits, survival strokes, and lifejacket use.
• Inland Water Safety Consultancy Advisory and support services for councils and land managers on inland water safety, providing evidence-based, culturally grounded best practice solutions for reserves, quarry lakes, rivers, tidal beaches, ponds, and urban swimming holes.

Quantifiable outcome

• World first lifejacket initiative at Te Henga Bethells Beach in partnership with local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Surf Life Saving New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-hosting World Drowning Prevention Day 2026 event at Karanga Plaza Harbour Pool in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Annual partnership for drowning prevention awareness and community events.
• Te Kawerau ā MakiflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025World first initiative installing remote Lifejacket Station at Te Henga Bethells Beach. Local iwi partnership for culturally grounded water safety solutions.
• Auckland CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Primary funder and supporter of DPA as the lead agency for drowning prevention education in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
• Waipū PoliceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on 10-year anniversary Uretiti Beach Crab Fishing Workshop for rock fishing safety education.
• Waipū Cove Surf Life Saving ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in open-water safety workshop at Uretiti Beach alongside Waipū Police and Ministry for Primary Industries.
• Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in seafood gathering and fishing safety workshops, particularly for kaimoana (seafood) collection activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation): New Zealand's national accident insurer and a major funder of injury-prevention programmes. Not a direct peer, but the dominant counterparty that DPA programmes may seek funding from and whose priorities shape DPA's relevance.
• Swimming New Zealand: National governing body for competitive and recreational swimming in Aotearoa. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — focuses on swim-sport pathways while DPA focuses on safety education — but both engage schools and water-safety messaging.

Direct peers

• Surf Life Saving New Zealand: National beach patrol and water-safety organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Most directly comparable peer: shares drowning-prevention mission, co-hosts World Drowning Prevention Day with DPA, and competes for the same council funding and volunteer base.
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): UK charity saving lives at sea through lifeguarding, education, and rescue services. Comparable in charity-led water-safety education, free public training, and donation-based funding model.
• Royal Life Saving Society UK: UK drowning-prevention charity operating a comparable model of community education, lifeguard training, and water-safety standards. Same mission, similar revenue mix (charitable funding plus paid training), and analogous curriculum products.
• Lifesaving Society Canada: Canadian charity dedicated to drowning prevention through education, training, and research. Directly comparable as a national charity delivering water-safety education, lifeguard training, and public-safety advocacy.
• Royal Life Saving Society Australia: Australian drowning-prevention charity with near-identical mission across community education, lifesaving training, and water-safety advocacy. Closest international model to DPA, sharing charitable structure and curriculum-aligned programmes.

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross: Large US humanitarian organisation offering water safety, lifeguarding, and aquatics training programmes. Comparable water-safety education products, but operating across a much wider health-and-safety portfolio.
• International Life Saving Federation: Global peak body for drowning prevention, lifeguarding, and water safety. Comparable as the umbrella entity setting standards and frameworks that DPA's programmes align to; broader scope and global footprint.
• Royal Life Saving Society Commonwealth: Commonwealth-wide network of drowning-prevention organisations. Operates broader than DPA across many countries but shares the same evidence-based water-safety education and lifesaving training mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/dpanzdrowningprevention
• Facebookfacebook.com/dpanzdrowningprevention
• Instagraminstagram.com/dpanzdrowningprevention
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dpanz-drowning-prevention

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Drowning Prevention Auckland / Aotearoa