Professional and Consumer thoughts

Professional and consumer thoughts on the Always in Reach emergency air product.

 I first became a lifeguard in 1983. Since then, I have been an Ocean Lifeguard on both US coasts. Currently, I am an American Red Cross Instructor Trainer for both Lifeguarding and Water Safety Instructors. I am instructor for the United States Lifesaving Association and was in charge of training the City of North Myrtle Beach’s Beach Patrol Officers to become USLA Lifeguard Instructors. I was a swift water rescuer on the great New River, an avid kayaker, and I hold numerous national certifications in the fields of aquatics and recreation.

 This being said, there are very few aquatic innovations that are able to impress me. I must say that the A.I.R. unit is such a product.

What comes to mind first, is the unit’s portability. A mother can throw it in a beach bag for her surfing or body-boarding children, and a surfer or kayaker can take it wherever they go. It will easily fit on any Beach Patrol truck or four-wheeler as well as in the backpack of an Ocean Lifeguard.

The A.I.R. design is simple perfection. No moving parts means, of course less parts to break. It can be worn while swimming and is soon forgotten about on the back of the arm, which makes it the perfect training companion for open water swimmers such a triathletes. The unit is secure during swimming & rescue procedures and withstands the rigors of personal watercraft rescue conditions.

I tested the A.I.R. unit extensively during Lifeguard training and found the unit to be no hindrance during rescues. An accidental discovery was how handy to the instructor the unit proved to be. While submerged, as the victim during training, instructors were able to stay at the bottom longer and better observe & analyze the lifeguards. It also was a revelation when tested while whitewater kayaking. During a missed roll, there was no panic knowing that my A.I.R. unit was right there on my arm. I simply reached over, took a breath, and rolled up.

I see a market for the A.I.R. in all areas of safety including home fire safety and automobile safety in cases of accidents around water.

I recommend the A.I.R. emergency air unit to any lifeguarding organization or rescue agency that deals with water. The unit’s modest cost should make it a no-brainer to individuals and agencies alike. I feel this innovative piece of equipment will soon become indispensable as standard water safety gear for Ocean Lifeguards.

Yours in Aquatics,

Mark H. Horton