Aquatic Leadership and the Importance of NLS Training

Does your child want to elevate his or her skill in swimming? If your child wants to train as a lifeguard, he or she can enroll in Zodiac Swim School’s Aquatic Leadership program.

What is the Aquatic Leadership program all about?

Zodiac Swim School’s Aquatic Leadership program prepares kids who want to become lifeguards. The program makes sure kids have the required competencies to become lifeguards. The program tests a child’s physical fitness, skill, judgment, and knowledge about swimming before becoming a certified lifeguard.

The preparation includes mastery of skills such as:

1. Demonstration of anaerobic strength and fitness in recovering an item. The participant starts in the water then swims 15m for a surface dive to recover a 20lb item and carry the item 5m all in 40 seconds.
2. A participant must be able to demonstrate anaerobic fitness for a 15m underwater swim.
3. A participant must demonstrate anaerobic skill and fitness through a sprint challenge. The participant starts in the water then must swim 50m head-up in 60 seconds.
4. A participant must display fitness, strength, and endurance for a submerged mannequins rescue and recovery test. The participant starts in the water then swim 25m to rescue a submerged mannequin and then carry the mannequin while swimming for another 25m accomplishing both within 90 seconds.
5. Aquatic Leadership program participants must also demonstrate endurance by swimming 400m within 10 minutes.
6. Participants must display strength and endurance during an approach and carry test. Participants start in the water then approach a victim 15m away head-up in deep water; then participants must carry the victim another 5m while keeping the victim’s head and shoulders above the water.

These are the necessary skills and fitness levels that Aquatic Leadership participants must display to become certified lifeguards. Before your child can enter the program, he or she must be at least 16 years old and must have passed Zodiac Swim School’s Standard First Aid-CPR C and Bronze Cross programs.

How important is NLS Training for kids who want to become lifeguards?

The NLS Training provided by Zodiac Swim School ensures that before kids become lifeguards, they have displayed the fitness and skills necessary to save a life. The program tests the preparedness of each participant and helps them develop the necessary skills and reach the required fitness, endurance, and strength levels for duty as a lifeguard. The training helps boost the confidence of students to attempt saving someone’s life when the need arises. The National Lifeguard certification offered by Zodiac Swim School follows Canada’s professional standards for lifeguards.