Lifeguard Training Near You

The purpose of the American Lifeguarding course is to teach candidates the knowledge and skills needed to prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies. The course content and activities prepare candidates to recognize and respond quickly and effectively to emergencies and prevent drowning and injuries. Listed below you will find a list of skills that will be covered in this course.

The training program requires strenuous physical activity. You are encouraged to check with your health-care professional before participating in the practice sessions. If a medical condition or disability exists that might prevent participation in the activities, or there are questions about fully participating in the Lifeguarding course, please contact us by e-mail to discuss this before the course begins.

To enroll in the Lifeguarding course, you may be any age, but US Labor Laws require that you must be 15 years or older to work at a swimming pool, waterpark, or lake, and 16 years or older to work at beaches. To successfully pass the full Lifeguarding course, you must be able to demonstrate the following skills:

-Swim 300 yards continuously, using these strokes in the following order:
-100 yards of front crawl using rhythmic breathing and a stabilizing, propellant kick.

Rhythmic breathing can be performed either by breathing to the side or to the front.100 yards of breaststroke using a pull, breathe, kick and glide sequence.100 yards of either the front crawl or breaststroke. The 100 yards may be a combination of front crawl and breaststroke. Starting in the water, swim 20 yards using front crawl or breaststroke, surface dive 7- 10 feet, retrieve a 10-pound object, return to the surface, swim 20 yards back to the starting point with the object and exit the water without using a ladder or steps, within 1 minute, 40 seconds.

If your swimming skills are not strong, but you can swim at least 50 yards and walk the brick test requirement, it may be possible to receive a Shallow Water Lifeguarding card. At any time in the future if you swimming skills increase to the level of deep-water requirements, we will issue the Professional Lifeguarding card that will allow you to guard at both deep water and shallow water pools at no additional cost.
Upon successful completion of the Lifeguard course, each participant will receive an American Lifeguard Certificate indicating Lifeguard, CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer and First Aid, which are all valid for 2 years under the new 2012 standards.