NLS Physical Standard - The Brick

[Jusala12]

Oh god, not easy for me. I'm 5'3 and 102lbs....

[a7nwee]

Dove 16ft deep to get the brick, pressure is insane if you don't put on goggles correctly

[xXlemurspwnXx]

Does anyone have any suggestions for what kick to use? Is eggbeater the only option, or the best option? I'm taking the 4-day NLS crash course in a couple weeks and would like to know. Just started practicing and I find that brick SO HARD to carry with my head out of the water--I keep sinking! (I'm female, muscular build--not very buoyant). Should I just keep practicing with eggbeater or try something else? Will be doing the test in a 13-ft deep pool.

[xXlemurspwnXx]

Thanks for any tips!

[ajdr92]

I have to dive 14'...what up with that?

[PhilippineCreation]

guys how can i dive suddenly into the deep while in a swim?

[holaimgiselle]

this is so dumb...we had to get the brick doing a feet first dive. the depth of the pool was 13 feet.

[kevdawg11]

soft

[waterski179]

omg thats fast the pool i go to for lifeguard trainning is 10 ft

[Nerdfighter21]

I'm so nervous. I have to swim a 25, dive 13ft., get the block, get back to the top, and swm another 25 on my back, keeping the brick and my head above the water. Tried it today. HARD.

[tigerlily9938]

@Nerdfighter21

I'm doing that tomorrow. Wish me luck !

[Nerdfighter21]

@tigerlily9938 Good luck! Now that I've done it, I realize it's not hard at all. You're basically just floating with the brick, and kicking. Don't worry about the time limit. Have fun!!!

[tigerlily9938]

@tigerlily9938

Thanks! I just passed :) It was actually pretty easy.

[AlphaKiloFive]

I remember doing the "crazy three". Our examiner would ask those up for the challenge to get the yellow (20lbs) brick three times 5 meters from the side in the diving area for extra brownie points. Got it in 49 seconds. Got beaten by a girl from the water polo team who did it in 45 seconds. Feels bad man.

I think about 10 of us out of ~25 tried it. 3 did it. Feels less bad. Makes you realize how much people suck at the egg beater.

[HowsikanKugathasan]

i can pick up the 20lbs but I cant swim the extra 5meters to reach the end, any tips/

[TristanBeaner]

OMG I remember doing this in water polo BS!!!

[killer43ist]

im in the life guard class im one of the 4 out of 20 to pass the brick test in a 12ft pool

[tucsondog]

I had to rescue a 75 year old man from 12ft before my exam. He was a former free diver and occasionally helped out the nls classes. Damn good training though.

[a7nwee]

I did 35 lbs as a challenge by the instructor =P

[paydafee]

so easy, physical is the easist crap for NLS

[JNHstudios]

@paydafee They are actually making the standards harder by going back to timed "rescues" for NLS starting sometime in 2012...

[TheArsenalist]

The standard is a maximum depth of 3m. It's "object recovery" - so that can be a 20lbs brick or mannequin of the equivalent weight. You do not need to do a head-up approach. You (the rescuer) do not need to be above the water while carrying the object 5 m, however at least 1 surface of the object must be above the water for the 5 m carry. When you are hired, of course, the expectation will be that you can get down to the deepest part of the pool and retrieve an object.

[thew0lf1]

im only 13 and i can dive that much

[crissangelissmexy]

Ughhh, the brickk

At my pool, we swam 25 yards to it, recovered it, then had to swim 25 yards back with two hands on it under two minutes. Talk about a workout

[crhettbuttler1]

I appreciate if somone could give me some advice, I have to give my test this weekend and I have problems with this brick thing. I approach and surface it easily but I can't swim with it surfaced. We both sink together!!! My kicks are not weak I know coz I do the Pia underwater easily and I don't even inhale once in between that. There should be a trick for this. PLZ help me, I have travelled a long way to take and pass this course, I need it

[alexcandy1411]

@crhettbuttler1

Did you try putting it on your shoulder? Use one hand to keep it on your shoulder and you can use the other plus legs to keep yourself up. I know its late though but figured I might as well lol, how did it go anyways?

[crhettbuttler1]

@alexcandy1411 Yeah well I did it anyways, I'm too happy we didn't have one of those tougher cases where ppl have to recover it from deeper than 9.6 feet or carry it longer distances!!

[jennidot]

gotta do my recert today *sigh* hopefully its easy. the course was but the brick was the hardest for me bc i screwed up my arm *sigh*

[DrLex32]

i had to dive 14 ft. to get the damn brick (i think the NLS standard is 9ft.) my fucking ears hurt

[cmonutube]

@DrLex32 damn I bet!

[Lyclenim]

@DrLex32 We used to have a whole plastic milk carton full of the bricks and I would do the whole case at once to show the class how easy it was...

[velocity896]

@Lyclenim how the hell do you fit bricks into a milk cartoon?

[Lyclenim]

@velocity896 Canada has milk cartons made of plastic about 1.5 feet square. That is what we used filled with old weight lifting wieghts.

[Par4ah]

@DrLex32 I feel for you, for my employment we have to do an 18ft dive!

[lilshygrl95]

We had to Swim 30 yards, crawl or breaststroke, and then retrieve the 10 brick 20 yards back using our legs only. I didn't do so well in the exam, but after a few tries I made it though.

[damienwoodford]

I had to do it with a 25kg dummy making sure he faces away from you whilst arms are going under its with hands serporting the head 3meters down

[lcfctomm]

passed my course today. chufffffed! we only had a 10kg mannakin about 5 metres out. pick that up from 2.1m depth, and then a casualty was in the water that you had to tow back to the edge. was so much easier than i thought it'd be with all the towing, spinal boards, vice grip turns and just everything in general

[Afica4life]

shit we had to dive 12 ft to get a dame brick

n the dame water was freezing its hard to hold ur breath

[KeikoTeddy]

Anyone lifegaurd at a waterpark? What did you have to test?

[coldtemperature]

@KeikoTeddy NLS Waterpark is so easy. We didn't have the brick test at all because to take NLS Waterpark you must have NLS Pool. The only physical components of the course were a PIA carry, submerged victim and deep water spinal boarding.

[AlphaKiloFive]

@coldtemperature

Did you had your examiners throw you in the pool's unheated water (about 8°C) for 5 hours while beginning your day by trying out all of the attractions who also got their water freshly pumped out of the aquifer overnight?

Our examiners were dicks. Awesome dicks. Ever saw the boot camp from Full Metal Jacket ? Divide it by two, and that was our training, in a lifeguard context. One of the best weekends of my life. In my case, it made my NLS pool look like a joke.

[coldtemperature]

@AlphaKiloFive Haha! Nice! No we didn't have cold water. We did have an hour to go on the slides and "check for hazards." The course went fast our instructor decided to add in an extra challenge. We had to get a rescue manikin and fill it completely with water. Then in groups of 4, 2 had to carry a spine board up 100 stairs to the top of our highest slide and the other 2 had to carry the manikin up. We had to board it and carry it down. This was on a weekend while we were open and very busy.

[longhornsnumber10]

Wow for my lifeguard test we had to swim 20m freestyle or breaststroke, dive 7ft and pick up the brick, and swim back 20m holding the brick with 2 hands our head and the brick can't go underwater, place the brick on the deck and get out of the pool deck that is 1ft from the surface of the water. We had to do that in 1m40s.

[cutiepie787]

Wow! I did my NLS about a year and a few months ago. And all we had to do for this was a 5m approach, dive down and pick up the brick, and than a 5m return.

Easy peasy!

[coldtemperature]

@longhornsnumber10 Was this the American Red Cross standard? This video is the NLS (National Lifeguard Service) standard for the Lifesaving Society of Canada. The only thing not mentioned in this video is the brick is 20lbs, not 10lbs like the American Red Cross standard.

[jamesbond728]

ok im training as a ligeguard, im 18. its my second day and my exam is in 5 days time. im good with everything BUT i simply cant hold my breath when i dive 3m to retrieve the 10kg dummy. by the time i even spot it i am out of breath...i had a mini blackout i had to swim back up. any tips? thank you :)

[CLEndicott]

get goggles so you can see it when you look underwater while swimming towards it and retrieving it

[jamesbond728]

when practıcıng, goggles are ok, but durıng the exam goggles are not allowed.....ıts over now, ı passed the exam long tıme ago :)

[CLEndicott]

they let me use goggles in my exam cuz i have contacts

[rajarak]

i love the brick !

[GrizzlyRancher]

My favourite NLS skill ;)

[jBo0giePop]

It was only 3 meters though

[khee93]

it's fun doing that

[Zackthemac20]

Yea we have to do a brick retrieval for like half the length of the pool and back

[jubran91]

what the technique to doing the brick retrieval the first time i tried it in life guarding class i started to sink like a rock and started to drown, any help lol?

[hollistercouture]

umm put the brick on the upper part of your chest and on your back kick as hard as you can

[marleyy08]

You basically have to do eggbeater to pass where I live...and god he's fast at the brick, that was always my least favourite part of NLS - the pressure always made my ears pop, lol.

[Froggerking]

ya he is fast, i got him as my NLS instucter.

[sp0ngesd]

is this test for ocean lifeguarding?

[outdamnwench]

Nope, waterfront NLS has different physical standards.

Not sure what they are though.

[asskickerfoo]

that was fast, at least this guy knows what he's doing, not like in most videos :)

[Froggerking]

ya he's a NLS instructer. I got him for my teacher.

[kuukan4]

As a little kid i used to carry those bricks from the bottom of the pool. they're unbelievably heavy!

[shk9664]

I highly doubt it was one of those bricks. It was probebly the black ones which are 10 pounds, those are 20 and oh man are they a difference.

[kuukan4]

well, little as in 16 years old. lol, sorry, i'm a bit vague. but probably, i don't remember.

[shk9664]

yeah no that makes sense. I turned 16 the day i got my NLS

[bn1134]

maybe lifeguarding is a bit diffrent in england, we have to get a manakin from the bottom of the pool, (12ft 6) 3.8m and tow it

[AnthonyThornton]

lol i kow what u mean and you wouldnt pass ur test with that kick lol!!

[rockmehardplace]

with what kick? you mean egg beater, the standard kick?

[AnthonyThornton]

egg beater is not the standard ll its side stroke!!

[rockmehardplace]

don't know where you live but here in BC everyone uses egg beater. it provides constant lift which is especially good for carrying someone either unconscious and/or spinal

[AnthonyThornton]

Live in england lol maybe it diffrent i find side stoke with chin to toe pull best for overall lift and breastroke on back underarm if injured chin etc ...

[navyseals109]

sidestroke would be absolutely useless because it does not provide constant upward lift and as i'm 180lbs and 8% body fat if i'm not constantly moving i will sink to the bottom and pull my victim down with me

[AnthonyThornton]

I suppose this depends on were you live in the world and your personal physical condition??? aswell as your instructur coz lets face it most are rubbish in england!!

[laadeedaaflip]

ummm, here in ottawa you can use either REVERSE scissor (opposite of sidestroke) eggbeater. they prefer eggbeater for spinals because you can keep a steady pace.

[xxcanadianchikk]

I'm going to watch this video over and over to see if I can absorb anything from it.

[outdamnwench]

There really isn't much technique to master. Pretty much go down, get it, kick like hell.

How did the exam go?

[xxcanadianchikk]

Could've been better... she didn't pass me

I actually did all 4 components, but she just "didn't like the look of it" :P I think she secretly hates me.

That's no excuse for not passing though, I know. Gotta work on that eggbeater. I'm gonna give NLS another shot.

[outdamnwench]

Oh, that sucks. So I'm assuming you didn't make it to the exam?

I suggest you take it as a crash course (if you already haven't). You've already learned everything, theres no point wasting 8 more weeks.

Yeah, work on your eggbeater a little and you'll be fine.

[xxcanadianchikk]

She says she'll try to ask the Lifesaving Society if they could let me and a couple of others who weren't successful take a partial course instead... I'm gonna see what the reply is first.

Thanks for your encouragement, though :)

Are you a lifeguard yourself?

[AnthonyThornton]

ur kick was wrong thats why it didnt look right if u did that on a spinal casualty u would prob kill them try the scissor kick might improve ur times as well

[xxcanadianchikk]

I have my NLS exam tomorrow, and if I fail it's probably going to be because of this brick component :S

I always seem to drown with it. When I see the yellow I go into panic mode and instinctively flutter kick instead of eggbeater. Sinking is also a problem when I try to switch hands half way.

[R160A]

Approximately how much is 3 meters in feet?

[Nazium]

3meters is approx 9 feet giv or take a few inches