Lifesaving
at Hooksum Outdoor School

Bronze Courses Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross course are taught in the open water at Hooksum Outdoor School. These courses are part of the West Coast Outdoor Leadership Training program and also available to interested groups. For course requirements and information, visit the Lifesaving Society website at www.lifesaving.bc.ca	. .Lifesaving Society Affiliate

National Lifeguard Service (NLS) Surf Option
Next Session: September 5 to 9, 2013

Hooksum Outdoor School is proud to be the only BC Lifesaving Society Affiliate to offer the NLS Surf Option.

Recognized as the standard measure of lifeguard performance in Canada, NLS education is designed to develop a sound understanding of lifeguarding principles, good judgment, and a mature and responsible attitude toward the role of the lifeguard. The primary role of the NLS lifeguard is the prevention of emergency situations and, where this fails, the timely and effective resolution of empergencies.

The NLS Surf Option is specifically designed for lifeguards working in surf environments. Trainees need to work in waves of at least 1 metre and from a number of different types of beaches.

NLS Surf Option Course
• 24 hours of training
• Candidate/Instructor Ratio of between 6:1 and 12:1

NLS Surf Physical Standards include:
• Run 100m with a rescue aid, enter water and swim 100m, to recover a conscious victim of similar size/weight and tow victim 100m (to shore) in 8 minutes or less.

• Approach up to 5m on the beach, enter water to waist deep, turn over and recover a passive or unconscious victim, return to shore and carry (drag) without assistance 15m from waters edge.

• Run 200m, swim 200m, run 200m in 8 minutes or less.

NLS Surf Option Prerequisites
• NLS Pool (current)
• NLS Waterfront (current)
• CPR-C (current within 1 year)- strongly recommended
There are no exceptions to these prerequisites!

Some comments from the 2010 session:

• this course is wayyyyyy more fun than waterfront

• I'm definitely coming back to do a recert and I probably had the best time of my life.

• The best part of the course was ... the oppurtunity to further develop our lifeguarding skill set AND experience a completely new environment at the same time. For me, the fact that both of these elements were combined into one course made it amazing. The way that the days were balanced between elements of exploration and skill development ensured that we were getting the most out of the course.

• I had a great time in BC learning new NLS techniques in surf conditions.
  The course was really worth the 3,000 km commute!