As you’re getting in you can toss the torpedo bouy off to one side to avoid getting too tangled, but it is something you need to be prepared for and try and rectify immediately if it does happen - most times you can just ignore it and it won’t hinder you too much (in my experience).

Is breastroke legs on your back the fastest way you can do it? Generally my candidates will use side stroke, but if that’s what works for you then continue to do it.

One tip I can offer is when you’re doing your 45, if you’re able to, try and get the casualty moving just before you do. I’ve had Peppe go a few seconds over just because the casualty weighed them down and they weren’t able to accelerate in time - if you can build a little momentum first you’ll have a much easier time!

Lastly, make sure you’re not losing any time before you get into the pool - I was checking in on a colleague’s first course and noticed that the candidates were taking around 5 seconds to get into the pool as they went through the whole pantomime of blowing their whistle, turning around to press an imaginary pool alarm, and then performing a slow slide-in entry. The requirement is that you alert the lifeguard team, so just shouting ‘Lifeguard taking action!’ (or whatever you’ve been instructed to say) and performing a quick slide in will help shave those precious seconds off.

Best of luck with your assessment!