What is a lifesaving competition like?

Here are some of the events you should expect at competitions. BULSCA competitions consist of: a dry SERC, a wet SERC, rope throw relay, a league event such as medley relay or obstacles, and swim and tow relay. Champs is a bit different to normal BULSCA comps and RLSS speeds comps have more speeds events and no SERCS!

Simulated Emergency Response Competition (SERC)

Dry SERC - In this event you will have around 2 minutes to assess and react to an unseen incident as a team. This is usually filled with a range of different casualties, for example: an asthmatic, an unconscious casualty, a drunk or even a helpful bystander. You will have to prioritise and treat as many people possible to the best of your ability within the alloted time.

Wet SERC - This is similar to the dry SERC, but takes place in and around the water. In addition to the casualties found in the dry you will also have to deal with problems in the water such as weak/non-swimmers and unconscious submerged casualties.

Rope Throw Relay (4x12m)

Here, you will have 2 1/2 minutes to coil a rope, throw it 12m for the next person in the team to catch and then pull them in. This is then repeated in a relay until all team members are recovered or time runs out.

Manikin Carry Relay (4x25m)

Here you will swim a length towing a manikin, ensuring its head stays above the water at all times. You will then hand the manikin over to the next person in your team who will do the same thing.

Obstacles Relay (4x50m)

This is a 50m freestyle swim which has obstacles (gates) which will usually be in the centre of the (25m) pool. You will have to swim under 2 obstacles before finishing to set off the next team member.

Medley Relay (4x50m)

Here, the first person in the team will swim 2 lengths front crawl. The second person will then swim 2 lengths wearing fins. The third person will swim 2 lengths with a torpedo buoy behind them. The third person will then hand the buoy to the fourth person who will swim 2 lengths wearing fins while towing the third person on the buoy.

Swim and Tow (4x100m)

Here, you will swim 2 lengths (50m) front crawl. You will then pick up a casualty (your next team mate) and tow them for 2 lengths. This is repeated until all team members have swam.

Social!

And at the end of the day, there's always a fab social, with food, drinks, awards, and dancing. Most importantly, there's always a fancy dress theme!