Water Survival

tennisrox014 · Post by **tennisrox014** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 1:46 pm

whoa... i just looked at my notebook and remembered im going to camp in like 3 weeks. wierd i totally forgot that.

spacecampaddict28 · Post by **spacecampaddict28** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 1:58 pm

see I wish i could have these really awesome realizations...but....its finals week. got stats calc and spanish lit left yayyayayyay

Oh, and I just realized less than 3 months til graduation!

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 7:36 pm

Yeah this just gave me a headache. I dont go to camp enough to forget the dates lol. *Note to self: get money to go back again...

tennisrox014 · Post by **tennisrox014** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 1:38 pm

sorry about the headache didnt mean to cause it.

and wow, how are you having finals this late in the year?

spacecampaddict28 · Post by **spacecampaddict28** » Thu Mar 03, 2005 3:42 pm

Trimester System......its the end of 2nd trimester....usually they are at the very end of the year.

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 8:45 pm

Hahahaha. I still have another week before finals!

tennisrox014 · Post by **tennisrox014** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 8:58 pm

i dont think i could deal with a trimester schedule... do you have to take 3 finals a year instead of 2 then?

spacecampaddict28 · Post by **spacecampaddict28** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 9:59 pm

No just once....woo!

Hey who cares though...im on SPRING BREAK til March 21st

Yayyyy a lot...

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:13 pm

Lucky for her i have to take three finals and sometimes three midterms...

tennisrox014 · Post by **tennisrox014** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:40 pm

i wish my spring break was now. my school is dumb and for some reason put spring break in Febuary. that isnt even a real spring break.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:09 am

Colleges and Universitites here get Spring Break in February also. Rather, they call it 'Reading Week' and the reason it was moved from March to February was due to the high suicide rates among students in late February.

Oh well... how about that water survival... how does linking arms help Navy SEALS stay afloat? I could see how it would keep them warm (we teach something similar using PFDs in the Red Cross programme) but wouldn't more people make them sink? Hmmm....

At our pool we're switching from the Red Cross swimming programmes to the Lifesaving Society programmes, so maybe that will spark some new ideas in my head and give ma a better understanding of water survival.

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 1:09 pm

Linking arms doesnt help them float it makes it harder. This way they get stronger and learn to float better when not connected to a lot of people. And they're still in quite shallow water at this point but the waves come in and naturally make everything more complicated.

Actually, now that i think about it its probably more of a team building exercise than anything.

spacy chick · Post by **spacy chick** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 9:18 pm

What's the diffrence between the red cross program and the lifesaving society program?? i teach (and am taught by) red cross standards...

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:43 am

Keeping in mind that the American Red Cross teaches different programmes than the Canadian Red Cross...

I am not completely certain what the differences are between the Red Cross programmes and the Lifesaving Society programmes because I have yet to receive my training for the latter of the two. My interpretation of the information presented to me is that the Red Cross programmes focus more on the swimming and perfecting the strokes (with some safety elements in each level, of course) while the Lifesaving Society programmes focus more on lifesaving techniques in the practical world, with less emphasis on stroke perfection, although correct strokes are taught and evaluated.

Here are some websites you can use for comparison:

The AquaQuest programme is what I presently teach at the pool. It is a good programme, although many kids miss out on a lot of rescue and safety techniques until they transfer to our higher Lifesaving Society programmes after level 12. (Yes, Red Cross does promote that safety is an element of its programme, but it is rather weak.)
http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=001405&tid=024

The AquaQuest programme is being replaced with another programme, Red Cross Swim. It looks a lot like the 12-level AquaQuest programme compressed into 10 levels, which start kids learning the different strokes at an earlier age. It might help, but kids will still face the same stumbling blocks with proper kick no matter when they start. The only benefit of this I can see is the more safety (or so they say) and that they teach whip kick earlier.
http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000881&tid=024

The Lifesaving Society's Swim For Life programme seems a bit more interactive than the Red Cross programmes. While swimming is a key element, kids learn more about safety, first aid, and have more opportunity for success. It seems a lot more practical and a lot more fun, but I won't know for sure until 2006 when I start teaching this stuff... The only big downfall I see if that there are only eight levels instead of 12. I can see a lot of kids doing each level twice because there are so many elements they need to complete. Then again, the teaching methods o the new programme may be different, so kids may be able to complete one level in 10 lessons - we'll see!
http://www.lifesaving.org/swimforlife/sflprogram.htm

The reason why our facility switched from Red Cross to LifeSaving is because we are already well-known for our higher Lifesaving Society programmes like Junior Lifeguard Club and Rookie-Ranger-Star Patrol. They seem to be the most popular programmes at our pool. Thus, when the opportunity for a programming change came, our staff chose to do the Lifesaving programme, for it seemed like kids would have more fun and be more interested in it than the Red Cross ones. It's worth a try.

I guess that is my novel for today. I would be interested in discussing the swim programmes in the US, or more about the programmes here in Canada if anyone is interested.

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 3:47 pm

Thats interesting because in America the Red Cross pretty much does everything. Swim lessons, lifeguarding, cpr, first aid and much more. The only competition they really have is the Y but they're pretty much the only ones who use their system.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:11 am

That's interesting about the American Red Cross. I think the Canadian Red Cross teaches first aid stuff too, but I don't know of anywhere that formally does it outside of swim lessons. Most places either use the Lifesaving Society first aid or St. John's Ambulance first aid.

Oh yeah, we have the YMCA here too, and they teach the same programme at the YMCA in the USA except that it is offered in French and English. I guess that's the only conversaion since everything must be bi-lingual up here. (It is so odd going to the USA and only seeing English labels...)

Space Nerd · Post by **Space Nerd** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:37 am

We're far from only having English labels. Nearly everything has spanish labels and the desk box i'm looking at has french and spanish. As well as half a dozen other things in this room.

Other than formal training in the form of college/trade school type stuff for EMTs and Paramedics red cross is what everybody learns. If you're a manager at the local mcdonalds you have to have workplace first aid and cpr from the red cross. They even teach babysitting classes. They're universal! lol. I'm not altogether sure either but i believe that the EMT-B (basic) learns some red cross stuff too. I was looking into becomming an EMT till i realized that nothing about that job actually sounded fun.

I might still do it....

meg · Post by **meg** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:27 pm

i took the babysitting class!

spacy chick · Post by **spacy chick** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:14 pm

i took the babysitting class too! (just a long time ago) Actually i just finished AEDs and CPR for the professional rescuer for recertification at the red cross...i had to get recertified for lifeguarding this summer...it's crazy, the pool i work at is talking about hiring for summer guards right now, and it's only march!

spacy chick · Post by **spacy chick** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 6:33 pm

wow, as i was typing that AC was in the news! They kept saying the reporter was in area 51 but unless AC has more to area 51 than the wooden area that i've gone to, i don't think he was...he was standing infront of a plane, i just couldn't see which one...!!!

Water Survival

Red Cross vs. Lifesaving Society