What does it take to be a lifeguard?

Question

what qualifications, tests etc? And who is a lifeguard whats the best thing about it?

Answer 1

we think the red cross does life guard certification. check with them. make sure you are a very strong swimmer.

Answer 2

alot of swimming. cpr training and diving into the water from high places

Answer 3

gotta know how 2 swim! lol!

Answer 4

i'm not nor have i ever been a lifeguard but i know that you need to be certified by the red cross for cpr and water saving stuff...

Answer 5

You must obviously be a strong swimmer.  Best thing about it is the view and working conditions.

Answer 6

you need to know how to swim

thats all i got.

Answer 7

5 things 1. you need to know how to swim.

2.you need CPR training.

3.you need diving training.

4.you need to sign up to be a lifeguard.

And 5.you NEED to start out being a lifeguard at a regular swimming pool.

And you need to trust me on this because my older brother did all this.

Answer 8

As a long-time Lifeguard Instructor I can speak to the standard Red Cross Lifeguarding course. This class takes about 36 to 40 hours.  The class is moderately strenuous. About half the course is in-water, the other half is classroom. There are reading assignments to be completed outside of class as well. It includes CPR and First Aid training.

Before taking the class a person needs to be at least 15 years old and be able to swim 500 yards continuously without stopping using front-crawl and breast-stroke. They also must be able to recover a 10-pound weight from a depth of 9 feet and tread water for 2 minutes. It is very helpful if the Lifeguard candidate can swim side-stroke and elementary back-stroke, tread water easily, and be generally confident in the water.

Anyone who is generally fit and a moderately good swimmer can usually do the physical portion of the class without much problem. The students who have failed my classes are usually poorly motivated, fail to do the reading assignments, and display a bad attitude in class. Anyone who tries hard and does the reading assignments, and who starts with reasonably good water skills, should usually pass the course with few problems.

Lifeguarding is a professional level job with the possibility for making life-and-death decisions.  That kind of responsibility is not for everyone, and the day-to-day reality is that it can be rather boring and difficult to stay focused.  But where else is a 16-17 year old going to work where real adult level important decisions are part of his or her routine?

The job can be fun, the enviroment is great, and there is a chance to meet good people.  There is the possibility that it will lead to a career in Aquatics Facility Management or Ocean Safety.

Call your local chapter of the Red Cross, your Parks & Recreation Department, Private Swim Clubs, or YMCA about possible certification courses.  April-May is peak time for this, many classes may have already filled.

Answer 9

CPR certification.  Swim test usually.  :)

Enjoying the nice weather.

Answer 10

u need to know how to swim and not be afraid of sharks or drowning because if u save their life YOU can still die and well u need to be cute .

Answer 11

Well you need to finish all 9 levels then theres like 3 big levels like rookie bronze and gold !!!!

Hope I help

Answer 12

Depends on your region.

In Canada:

1. Bronze Medallion

2. Bronze Cross

3. Standard First Aid with CPR-C

(the above 3 can be taken as a crash course (40 hours long), in Toronto, for about $200)

4. National Lifeguarding Standard (NLS, in Toronto its 40 hours of  instruction, for about $200)

The best thing about being a lifeguard is the feeling at the end of the day when you've saved somebody's life. And you realize that you did something so amazing, as to give the gift of life to someone who almost had it taken away.

As well, don't listen to all the people who tell you that you have to know how to dive from high places and be able to swim really well. That's bull. You need to do head-up front crawl, eggbeater, and need to be able to do a surface dive (when you're already in the water, you submerge.)

In fact, in most situations, diving is inappropriate, and any other stroke besides front crawl or eggbeater is too. I know you think its fun diving off that high chair, but when I jump off a 6 ft. (standard height) chair in a normal 25m. swimming pool I usually touch the bottom with my feet. I don't even want to imagine how it must feel to hit that with my head. The only situation I can think of when I'd dive is if I'm walking along the edge in the deep end, and it's right near the dropoff area.

Also, being able to ride a motorboat is also bull. Even if you're on the beach, if something happens far off, you radio it in, you don't jump in the boat.

Answer 13

I got all my stuff thru Red Cross.

Depending on what the hours are for a class, I had to take about 35 hours at a Red Cross local pool. There I got my CRP certifiaciton wiht AED training. My Lifeguarding certificaiton and first aid training. I suggest taking the lifeguarding and first aid w/ the Red Cross, and if possible AED/CPR with American Heart, or somewhere else. Red Cross AED/CPR certification card lasts for only 1 year at a time, meaning every year you need re-certified for AED/CPR, you need to retake the entire 4 hour-course on stuff that only takes about 45 minutes to review. My point being, I took a re-certification CPR/AED class with American Heart, they had a better movie, better dummies, better AED trainer machine, and better instructor for about ½ the price.

Other than that... obveously a good strong swimmer. If you take the Red Cross lifeguarding classes, you have a 2000 yrd test on all strokes [i think.. that might have been just my instructor, not a fun lady...]. Also there is an entire book you go thru during the class. I think its 150+ pgs. Theres a test on all strokes, manuevers [entries, rescue skills, equipment, shift changes, lake scene, pool scene, water park scene, breating techniques.. every detail in the book is covered on the test]

I like being a lifeguard because

1) it sounds corny, but... Its rewarding knowing you give parents and others a sense of security when they're trying to relax at a pool with their kids.

2) its a good feeling knowing all your lifesaving skills out in the real world. A man had a heart attack in a mall I went to recently. Me and another woman kept him going for 20 minutes before the ambulance got there.

3) its a fun outside job. you get to interact with all sorts of people and ...

4) lets face it.. you get tan..

Ha ha..

As for qualifications.. do you mean to be in the lifegaurd classes, or to get a job. To get a job, I think I pretty much covered that-- CPR/AED certification, Lfiegaurd card, first aid card[card=current certification]. For the class [again, this is my pool, maybe different at other places], in Red Cross, I had to take 2 year [2 years for me is two 4-weeks of 2-hour a day classes] of GuardStart [a red cross prerequisite class] and the offical Lifegaurd Skills Class. Also, the pool I went to offered over 8 levels of swimming lessons and I took i think 6+ levels.

Good luck, and it really is a rewarding job.

Answer 14

You will need you need to be able to swim ride a motored boat, and you wil have to need to know skills in first aid.