Subjective knowledge is a significant factor influencing individuals’ behaviors. It plays a critical role in preventing people from tragic event during open water activities (OWAs). However, a measurement scale for subjective knowledge in OWAs has not been developed and comprehensively investigated in the field of maritime and coaching studies. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a subjective knowledge scale in OWAs (SKS-OWA) to better understand participants’ safety perceptions. We collected data from individuals who participated in OWAs within three years in Singapore. This study conducted the pilot study (n = 260) and the main study (n = 453) and employed a rigorous scale development procedure to assess the psychometric properties of the SKS-OWA. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of subjective knowledge in OWAs, and the SKS-OWA can be used to help coaches and practitioners to plan their training programs, increase public awareness, and reduce the rates of deaths from drowning.
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