2007, Piran, Slovenia

Cold water immersion
surf beaches. As experience of swimming in the surf can significantly improve surf
swimming times, consideration should be given to training BLG in this skill.
Swim bench tests of upper body strength and power have been reported to provide higher
correlations with swimming performance than isometric upper body strength measures
because of their greater specificity (Costill et al, 1985; Hawley & Williams, 1991). However,
the present study did not identify any of the measures of power and strength obtained with
the swim bench as particularly useful in predicting swimming performance in the pool or sea
(H2 is not supported). This may have been because the bench test was much shorter than the
swim times recorded.
It is concluded that there is a significant skill factor in surf swimming and this may help to
explain why pool swim times do not predict surf swimming performance. These findings
have implications for the training and assignment of BLG.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The subjects and RNLI, Elizabeth McCormack, Dr. Graham Elliott.
REFERENCES
Astrand PO, Hultman E, Juhlin-Dannfelt A & Reynolds G (1986) Disposal of lactate during
and after strenuous exercise in humans. J. Appl. Physiol. 61(1): 338-343.
Chatard, J-C., Lavoie, J., and Lacour, J., 1992. Swimming skill cannot be interpreted directly
from the energy cost of swimming. In: Biomechanics and medicine in swimming.
MacLaren, D., Reilly, T. & Lees, A. (Eds) E & FN Spon, London.
Costill, D., Kovaleski, J., Porter, D., Kirwan, J., Fielding, R. & King, D., 1985. Energy
expenditure during front crawl swimming: predicting success in middle-distance events.
Int. J. Sports Med. 6:266-270.
Durnin J & Womersley J., 1974. Body fat assessment from total body density and its
estimation from skinfold thickness: measurement on 481 men and women aged from 16-
72 years. Br. J. Nutrition 32: 77-90.
Hawley J & Williams M., 1991. Relationship between upper body anaerobic power and
freestyle swimming performance. Int. J. Sports Med. 12(1): 1-5.
Reilly, T., Wooler, A. & Tipton, M., 2005a. Occupational Fitness Standards for Beach
Lifeguards Phase 1: The physiological demands of Beach Lifeguarding. Occupational
Medicine. 56: 6-11.
Reilly, T., Iggleden, C., Gennser, M. & Tipton, M., 2005b. Occupational Fitness Standards
for Beach Lifeguards phase 2: The development of an easily administered fitness test.
Occupational Medicine. 56:12-17
339