Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes during sport — and in the pool it is harder to see, harder to reach, and slower to treat. HeartWAVE gives swimmers, water polo players, divers, and their coaches what they need to prevent it, recognize it, and respond fast.
After high-profile collapses on the field, the NFL-backed Smart Heart Sports Coalition and the federal HEARTS Act pushed CPR, AEDs, and emergency action plans into schools, and 35 states now have youth cardiac-safety laws. Almost none of it is written for aquatic sports — where cardiac arrest behaves differently and is dangerously easy to miss.
A swimmer who has collapsed can look like they're resting or gliding. Face-down is normal in practice, so a motionless athlete slips by unnoticed.
You can't do CPR in the water. The athlete has to be pulled out first — time that someone collapsing on dry land wouldn't lose.
AEDs are often stored away from the deck, and getting one back to a wet poolside takes longer than in a gym or out on a field.
HeartWAVE turns cardiac safety into something a team can actually learn, practice, and keep — tuned to the realities of the pool deck.
A plain-language workbook and curriculum on sudden cardiac arrest for aquatic athletes, coaches, and program directors — what it is, how to spot it in the water, and exactly what to do.
Workshops that walk a team through hands-only CPR, using an AED near water, and writing an Emergency Action Plan — then recognize the teams that complete them.
Working alongside established cardiac and aquatic-safety organizations to bring proven practices to pools, clubs, and schools.
A 24-page, plain-language guide for swimmers, water polo players, divers, and the coaches and directors who keep them safe. Written to be read before anyone ever needs it.
Published · by Cayden Taylor · ISBN 979-8182244206
HeartWAVE helps your team put the essentials in place: know the signs, run a drill, find your AEDs, and write an Emergency Action Plan everyone has practiced. Teams that complete it are recognized as HeartWAVE-certified.
Tell us about your team — swim, water polo, dive, club, or school — and we'll help you get ready. Open to programs anywhere.
An online sign-up form is coming soon. For now, email us directly and we'll follow up.
As programs complete HeartWAVE training, they'll be recognized here. We're onboarding our founding teams now.
I'm a competitive water polo player, and the more hours I spent in the pool, the more I noticed something: almost all of the cardiac-safety training out there is written for fields and gyms — not for the water, where an emergency is hardest to see and hardest to reach.
HeartWAVE is my answer. It started as a workbook and is growing into workshops, certification, and partnerships — so that every aquatic athlete has a team that knows exactly what to do. You don't need to be a doctor to save a life. You just need to know what to look for and what to do.
Cayden Taylor
Founder, HeartWAVE
HeartWAVE builds on the work of these national organizations. Explore them for heart screening events, CPR training, and support for families affected by sudden cardiac arrest.