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WATER STUNT MANIKINS & RESCUE MANIKINS FOR HIRE

Water Stunt Manikins & Rescue Manikins 

A body behaves very differently in water than it does on land. Clothing traps air, currents alter its position and an incorrectly weighted stunt dummy may float too high, roll unnaturally or fail to remain where the shot requires it.

Our fully articulated Water Stunt Action Manikins can be configured to float or sink according to the production or training brief. They provide a realistic human form for film and television water scenes, casualty recovery exercises and professional rescue training without requiring a performer to remain in the water unnecessarily.

Male, female and child configurations are available, with different heads, bodies, weight options and levels of finish.

Do Water Dummies Work?

Water scenes often require more than a basic rescue dummy. The body may need to float face-up or face-down, remain partially submerged, sink beneath the surface or be recovered and handled by performers.  

Our Water Manikins are fully articulated, allowing the limbs, torso, neck and head to take up more natural human positions in and around the water. Joint movement and body configuration can be adjusted according to the action and the way the manikin needs to appear on camera.

The required buoyancy is prepared before use and will depend on the individual brief, clothing, water conditions and intended action.

Film and Televison uses

Water Stunt Action Manikins are suitable for:

  • Floating body and casualty scenes

  • Submerged body representation

  • Shoreline and riverbank recovery

  • Bodies being lifted from water

  • Boat, harbour and dockside scenes

  • Swimming pool sequences

  • Vehicle and water-recovery scenes

  • Performer replacement during difficult water action

  • Dead body and cadaver representation

  • Repeated takes in controlled water environments


Please tell us whether the manikin will enter the water during the shot or be positioned there in advance. An entry, fall or impact may require a different preparation from a static floating or submerged body.

Water Rescue and Recovery training 

Our articulated water manikins can also be prepared for professional rescue, search and casualty-recovery exercises.
Unlike a rigid training dummy, a Stunt Action Manikin provides realistic joint movement and human proportions when being located, approached, lifted, carried or recovered. This can make an exercise more representative of handling an actual person.

Applications include:

  • Water rescue training

  • Search and recovery exercises

  • Casualty location and retrieval

  • Boat and shoreline recovery

  • Submerged body searches

  • Emergency-service exercises

  • Sonar, imaging and detection trials

  • Demonstrations and operational training


Training requirements are assessed individually. We will need to understand how the manikin will be handled, the intended depth, the water conditions and whether any specialist equipment will be used.

Configured for the Water Enviroment 

Fresh water, salt water and chlorinated pools can affect buoyancy and materials differently. Current, depth, temperature, clothing and trapped air may also change the way a body moves.

Before preparing a manikin, we will ask for information including:

  • The type and location of the water

  • Approximate depth and current

  • Whether the manikin needs to float or sink

  • The required body position

  • Clothing and footwear

  • How the manikin will enter the water

  • How long it will remain submerged

  • How it will be recovered

  • The number of anticipated takes or exercises

  • Any impact, vehicle, boat or special-effects involvement


The production or training provider remains responsible for its own water-safety arrangements, risk assessment and suitably qualified personnel.

Realistic Appearance and Body Options

Productions can choose from a range of realistic heads, bodies and weight configurations. Interchangeable heads, armatured silicone hands and forearms, wigs, costume and prosthetic detailing can be used where a greater level of realism is required.

A generic human form may be sufficient for a distant or underwater shot. Where the manikin will be filmed closely or needs to represent a particular performer, we can discuss height, build, hair, clothing and visible features.

Any make-up, theatrical blood or prosthetic work must be suitable for the intended water conditions and handling.

Preparation and On-Set Support 

Once we understand the requirement, we will select and configure the most suitable manikin or combination of components.

Preparation may include adjusting body proportions, weight, buoyancy, joint movement, head position, clothing and overall appearance. Bespoke requirements are considered where an existing configuration is unsuitable.

Working With Your Team 

The appropriate level of technical or on-set support can be supplied according to the complexity of the work.

We can liaise with stunt, water-safety, special-effects, costume, hair and make-up departments and assist with preparation, dressing, positioning, handling, recovery and resetting between takes.

Our Water Stunt Action Manikins have been developed by Stunt Action Manikins (S.A.M.) Ltd for professional film, television, training and specialist simulation.

Hire a Water Manikin or Rescue Manikin

Our professional Water Stunt Action Manikins are supplied primarily for hire and are not mass-produced retail products.

To check availability and receive an accurate quotation, please provide the production or organisation name, dates, location, water environment, intended action and details of how the manikin will be positioned, handled and recovered.

Contact Stunt Action Manikins to discuss the most suitable water manikin for your production, exercise or specialist project.

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