RSTC Swim Test and US Navy Swim Test Questions

[TravelGas]

While looking through the links in some of the posts, I came across an article in the 2000 summer edition of the American Lifeguard magazine. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.usla.org/resource/resmgr/american_lifeguard_magazine/2000_summer.pdf

it seemed to say that the main problem with attracting lifeguards was the pay.

Interesting that this article is so old, but is so relevant. There are those this past Summer who wold have you believe that the LG shortage came on suddenly and just became a problem in 2022. This problem has been coming on and buildings for many years. While I agree that then comparatively low pay is the biggest problem, a close second is that the kids today just don't want to make the physical effort to train, be tested, take the classes to become LG. The interest in the job has waned greatly and is no longer there, even at higher wage levels now being offered. Few kids got certified this Summer and I think the shortage will be just as bad or even worse in Summer 2023, than Summer 2022. The pool of qualified applicants has shrank greatly, it will just be more competitive to hire those who are interested and qualified to do this job. Another factor to consider is those that do work must work short handed constantly and are getting nothing extra for the extra work while the employers keep their beach or pool open and save a lot of money on wages. The way to fix that is a minimum staffing clause in the K and a financial penalty for the employer to pay to those working short handed. The public is less safe and that should not be overlooked either.

 

[TravelGas]

1:15 is a quick 100. I doubt many people who weren't part of a competitive swimming program at some point could beat that. I guess they wanted to weed people out fast.

I did my Red Cross Advanced Lifesaving in 1984 and WSI in '85, so had the 500 yards in 10 minute max swim. It was easy for me at the time as a HS swimmer and water polo player.

I thought about trying for an LA County ocean lifeguard spot, but they had an uncorrected vision requirement I couldn't make. But I still remember being impressed by how hard the swimming pre-test was back then. Something like a 1 mile ocean swim during February or March (so 60F/16C water temp) with no wetsuit allowed with either a tight time limit or they only took the first however many finishers they needed.

It seems the posters in the topic are all very close in age.

I agree that 1:15 is a quick 100, as is the NYC Beach LG 440 yard pool swim in 6:40. The difficulty with the Long Beach test is not the 2:55 200, but the 9:00 one mile run that must be done with little break and while still fatigued from the pool swim that the above 2 agencies don't do a one mile run, either no run at all or only a 1/4 mile.
As the years pass going forward, I would not be surprised to see some of the above times or distances watered down in order to put bodies into the chairs. NYS in June changed the law and now allows 15 YO to work as Lifeguards, in order to increase the available number of LG to be hired.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Back in 1999, it took me nearly a year to walk again after being run over by a car in the Cayman Islands like a deer or Brad Pitt in "Meet Joe Black." I moved to Key Largo. One afternoon I was running laps in a park where the Civil Air Patrol was running timed laps. Their leaders started timing me as well and I was clocked at around a 5:30 mile pace at age 32. Even after an accident like that, returning to running was easy. I actually could sprint before I could jog because the stride was smoother. I had ACL, MCL, and PCL tears in my left knee and torn meniscus in the right. Never repaired.

Now, I've got bone-on-bone damage in both knees as well as those old injuries. After getting bent in 2018, I was dizzy for 2.5 years and mostly in bed. Last year, I returned to exercising and freediving. This summer I returned to scuba diving. I've had a couple of job offers to be a surf lifeguard even though I only have one good eye at the moment, but discovered my run speed over distance just hasn't been coming back.

I watched some YouTube videos on training for the 1.5-mile run in 12-minutes and just started incorporating those training methods. My sprint times up to 300-yards are decent and still competitive with rescue swimmers such as a 300 shuttle run in less than 79 seconds. But after 1/4 mile/400 meters, I don't have the gas. My girlfriend moved to South Carolina and I was hoping to make the 1 mile run in 7:45 for Charleston County lifeguards but I don't know how long that is going to take (if I can at all) LOL!

 

[Jcp2]

While looking through the links in some of the posts, I came across an article in the 2000 summer edition of the American Lifeguard magazine. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.usla.org/resource/resmgr/american_lifeguard_magazine/2000_summer.pdf

it seemed to say that the main problem with attracting lifeguards was the pay.

My son was a lifeguard at a private pool for two summers in high school just before the pandemic. It was okay as a first real job and it was outdoors with some friends, but the pay ($9/hr) coupled with management time theft, split shifts, and requests for last minute coverage because of poor scheduling and a reluctance to pay more than 40 hours a week really turned him off. At least he learned what a poor working environment is.

 

[TravelGas]

Trace, is the Charleston one mile for hiring only, or each year also for re hiring? Is that right after doing the swim ? You are certainly very knowledgeable.
This year was the first year I went over 8:00. I was always in the 7s. I was under trained and no doubt my age has caught up with me. I am now eligible to collect the pension and maybe it is time for me to move on. I think I was 8:15 this year.
It's hard to stay motivated when kids with undamaged lungs in the prime of life can't make 9:00.

 

[A Bajo]

The NY TImes have been running several articles on the local lifeguard situation. One requirement is 50 yards under 45sec for both pool and waterfront. Still, pay is probably a bigger problem

New York City Sets a High Bar for Lifeguards. That Could Be a Problem. (Published 2022)

The city requires its pool lifeguards to meet standards similar to those set for ocean lifeguards, beyond what the state sets.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Trace, is the Charleston one mile for hiring only, or each year also for re hiring? Is that right after doing the swim ? You are certainly very knowledgeable.
This year was the first year I went over 8:00. I was always in the 7s. I was under trained and no doubt my age has caught up with me. I am now eligible to collect the pension and maybe it is time for me to move on. I think I was 8:15 this year.
It's hard to stay motivated when kids with undamaged lungs in the prime of life can't make 9:00.

The lifeguard shortage and the lack of opportunities in diving, even with my resume, found me considering returning to lifeguarding.

When I didn't get the job as the diving safety officer at Florida State, the first job offer that came my way in the area was lifeguarding at Ft. Walton Beach. They had a lifeguard with only one eye, a former military guy. This was a handful of years ago and a diving job came my way so I didn't attend tryouts. Now, after recovering from DCS, I'm considering trying to get on a beach patrol full-time down south (I'm back in my home state of PA). I was checking with various patrols to see whether they'd let me guard with an eye patch and what the fitness test would be. No issues with the eye since my good eye is 20/20 or better. Only my own body is holding me back. To be honest, I haven't made a serious effort to fix my run. If I really was motivated, I could cut sugar out of my diet and do more of the workouts on the track and treadmills that are designed to increase one's speed and VO2max. I just started to start pushing the run and I might not put sugar in my Taster's Choice or drink any Moster Java Loco Mocas soon. LOL!

I'm actually starting a diving training agency that will require fitness standards, hence my great interest in watermanship tests, lifeguard, and military rescue swimmer tests.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

20 years ago when I started cave diving, my second-hand 50-watt halogen light needed to be repaired. Since it was a Halcyon, I took it there when I was in High Springs. I walked in at 5'11" (actually 5'10.98" according to my doctor's office now that we are digitally correct) and there were all these guys who were in decent shape towering over me. That was my impression of the WKPP divers, and I always thought GUE instructor Ed Hayes and I were the shortest guys in our circle of GUE friends, but we made up for it by being muscular.

Now, most of the GUE T-shirts I see contain the physiques of overweight divers who also have no fashion sense. I've noticed most Red Cross and Ellis lifeguards are grossly obese.

I guess it will just be a matter of time before surf lifeguards that looked like Sam Elliott and Parker Stevenson in the film "Lifeguard" from the 1970s will be considered toxic for having the arrogance to be fit in an America that seems to be giving up.

 

[dmaziuk]

Could be worse: imagine if things'd gone the other way and the job requirements are a 5-minute mile and Pam Anderson's BCDs.

 

[TravelGas]

I've noticed most Red Cross and Ellis lifeguards are grossly obese.

I guess it will just be a matter of time before surf lifeguards that looked like Sam Elliott and Parker Stevenson in the film "Lifeguard" from the 1970s will be considered toxic for having the arrogance to be fit in an America that seems to be giving up.

I don't have any positive to say about the ARC.

As for your Movie comment. This just goes to show that Lifeguarding is a brotherhood similar to that found in FF. I watch that movie each year in August, its a tradition.

It is amazing how all the things that went on in that movie, still go on today, if you can look past some of the outdated things in the movie. The beach pervert, especially transcends time.

I have put many of the younger guys onto that movie over the years, if I detect that they are serious and want to learn about LG culture and how things used to be in the good old days. They know todays times are not the good old days and more like what it is like to go down the drain.

If you do get hired again, try to find one who is civil service and do the 10 years service to get vested in the pension. You'll be glad that you did.