In waters from fifty to sixty degrees an average human-being can endure up to one and a half hours before succumbing to mental and physical exhaustion, or unconsciousness due to hypothermia. In fifty two degree water, I lasted three and a half hours to become an Ocean Lifeguard. The course preceding this daunting test was the most time consuming and demanding experience I have ever had. In the eight weeks of April and May the Town of Southampton Ocean Lifeguard course required me to drive one to two and a half hours a day to Long Island. Six of these weeks consisted of swimming, simulating the practical aspects of the job, and learning how to execute the proper rescues. Yes, this period was time consuming and required attentiveness, but it …show more content…
Whether it was forty five degrees and hailing or seventy and sunny, those last two weeks were spent on the beach running, learning carries, and swimming. I was probably the most stoked person in the group for the course going into it, and I’d love to say I powered through with no difficulty, but that is simply not true. In fact on the second day we showed up and Mr. Bass exclaimed that the water was a “balmy” fifty eight degrees so we would have a hour and a half swim workout that day. I should preface what occurred next with this: As a rower and athlete I have always been and strived to be mentally tough and resilient. However, when I got in that second day though people started “freezing out” or quitting because they were far too cold or hypothermic to continue. At the hour mark as I jumped into the shore break my head was throbbing, every part of my body was shaking, and I felt my freezing hands cramping and numbing as if they were iced over and I was just awaiting the stroke that would cause them to shatter. They didn’t end up shattering, but I