Anti-Drowning System Market

Market Overview

The global anti-drowning system market size was valued at USD 67.68 million in 2021. It is projected to reach USD 98.86 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period (2022-2030).

Market Dynamics

Rising Popularity of Condominiums & Large Residential Complexes with Pools in Southeast Asia

The increasing number of swimming pools, specifically in developing economies, drives the need for effective safety solutions and systems. The rising popularity of condominiums and large residential complexes that primarily comprise individual apartments with well-equipped large pools in the Southeast Asian countries is creating a lucrative opportunity for the growth of the anti-drowning system market. For instance, in Singapore, the number of condominiums surpassed a count of 340,000 in 2018.

Condominiums and swimming pools have become a standard for improving tenant lifestyle and attract expats. The increase in the growth rate of condominiums for the year 2018 for a few Southeast Asian countries is listed below.

• Thailand: 13% increase
• Vietnam: 38% increase
• The Philippines: 42.1% increase

Development of Hotels & Resorts with Pools & Other Luxury Infrastructure on Account of Increasing Tourist Footfall in Southeast Asian Countries

The tourism sector also contributes to the growth of leisure infrastructures, such as pools and spas, creating a fertile base for the anti-drowning system market. Resorts and hotels attract numerous tourists, and the growing popularity of Southeast Asian countries as tourism destinations favorably influences the market. For instance, Indonesia welcomed 13.5 million tourists in 2016. Governments in these economies are encouraging expansion projects focusing on the development of hotels and pools. Bali had more than 2,500 hotels with pools in 2016. The scenario has brought to light the importance of effective safety systems, propelling the growth of the anti-drowning system market.

Regional Analysis

North America Dominates the Market with More Than Half the Global Value Share

North America dominated the market with an active share of around 55–58% in 2019. Incidents of drowning fatalities among children are rising in North America. Over ten deaths from drowning and 15,000 registrations for nonfatal submersion injuries are recorded daily in the U.S., as per the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. In the U.S., drowning is the leading cause of death among children aged 1–4 and the second leading cause among children aged 5–9.

Recent years have witnessed the highest number of drowning incidents at home, which is accelerating the need for anti-drowning systems. Rising concerns among parents and government measures are leading to the plotting of unsafe pool drains, gates, and water conditions. On the World Health Organization’s recommendations, the U.S. government is developing its own comprehensive drowning prevention plan. The adoption of wearable and mounted anti-drowning systems, as part of the scheme, is anticipated to gain remarkable momentum, owing to improved purchasing power.

More than 14 million North American private pools and spas, including those in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, are regulated by state or local governments. States and municipalities look after the installations of fencing, signage, or alarms in residential pools. Therefore, some regions offer enhanced protections from water dangers in some areas than others.

South America is emerging as a rapidly growing market with a 4.7% CAGR

South America is estimated to rise as one of the radpidly-growing regions with a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period, 2020–2023. Drowning rates in the low-income countries of South America are estimated to be over 3–4 times higher than those in high-income countries.

The WHO mortality data reveals drowning as one of the top five causes of death for children aged 1–14 on the continent. This can be mainly attributed to the lack of physical barriers between people and water, inadequate supervision and monitoring tools, uncovered water supplies, and poorly maintained vessels. The least-educated regions of South America have suffered the worst effects of drownings due to the unavailability of safety resources in recent years.

The rising popularity of water sports, beach parties, holidays, and cultural events, such as concerts and dances, has increased the number of pools in clubs, dwellings, and homes in Brazil. There are an estimated 10 million practitioners of water sports, as per the WHO, which has further increased the number of drownings possibilities in the region.

Agencies such as the Brazilian Life-Saving Society are engaged in the implementation of water rescue background systems, location identification using GPS, anti-drowning systems with remote alert, and automatic airbag systems in the country’s ocean, beaches, lakes, ponds, rivers, irrigation canals, animal feeders, swimming pools, spas, and bath-tubs.

Segmental Analysis

Wearable Segment by Type Accounts for a ~70% Share of the Market

Based on type, the market is segmented into mounted and wearable systems, among which the wearable system segment accounted for around a 70–72% share in 2019 globally. The rising incidents of child and adult drowning have raised awareness about the importance of wearing life jackets, refraining from alcohol while operating watercraft, and enrolling in boating safety courses. Companies and government officials are taking extra precautions in the approval and deployment of designated guarding personnel and life-saving devices in and around swimming pools, spas, and public parks. Some of the widely used wearable devices are listed below.

Swimming Bracelets

A swimming bracelet consists of a sensor, warning device, timer, and radio communication device. Battery-powered waterproof swimming bands that inflate a balloon when pressed are widely gaining popularity in North America to detect drowning children. There is also a growing demand for swimming bracelets equipped with loudspeakers.

Technological developments are creating demand for wireless nodes that collect environmental and user data and transmit a warning message to the monitor terminal. Swimming environment and hand gestures allow lifeguards to identify a drowning person and initiate rescue options. Modern swimming bracelets can collect real-time data in an interval of one second and continuously refresh underwater conditions calculated by current hydraulic gage, heart rate, and signal intensity. The alert program is started immediately if underwater penetration exceeds the reservation threshold of 1 meter for more than 30 seconds.

Goggles

Goggles have long been used by swimmers and sport practitioners for the protection of eyes against chlorinated freshwater. Technology equipped swimming goggles are now helping in the detection and analysis of various readings exhibited by the victim during drowning distress, which includes monitoring of the wave pattern due to panic and irregular pressure variations generated by the gadget.

Swimming goggles are incorporated with two drowning detection sensors on each side. A resistive based circuit attached to the microcontroller detects if both sides of the nose and mouth are closed, and the drowning detection unit generates an alarm. The signal is transmitted using underwater communication technology such as acoustic waves and infrared waves to inform lifeguards and concerned authorities.

Commercial Segment by Application Accounts for Three-Fourths of the Value Share Globally

The commercial segment by application accounted for the largest share of around 75–77% in 2019. The increasing number of public parks and pools, spas and resorts, schools, the popularity of water sports, adventure activities, and swimming clubs, and growth of shipping and ferry operations, coupled with the adoption of safety measures by authorities, life-saving organizations, and community members for the prevention of life-threatening accidents in water, drive the segment’s growth.

Singapore has announced plans to install infrared drowning detection systems at 11 of its 26 public swimming pools listed on the ActiveSG website by 2020. The country also plans to deploy surveillance cameras in all of its ActiveSG water facilities in the upcoming years. The Australian government has started an initiative to create safe play areas to reduce drowning cases in the region’s farm dams. Open water bodies are fenced or covered with monitoring systems.