Lifeguard training
Become A Certified
American Red Cross Lifeguard!
All About Our American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Courses:
At The Aquatic Training Academy, a member of The Aquatic Connection family, our American Red Cross lifeguard training courses are specifically designed to better train lifeguards in preventing, recognizing, and responding to aquatic, breathing, and cardiac emergencies in all aquatic environments. We offer certified blended-learning training courses consisting of a comprehensive online course and in-person training session.
The new American Red Cross lifeguarding courses are far more encompassing than in the past, preparing candidates to acquire the knowledge and skills in four main areas when working as a lifeguard:
- Foundational lifeguarding concepts (recognizing distress and drowning, surveillance and scanning, and recognizing and preventing injury)
- Water rescue and extraction
- Resuscitation (including CPR/AED for professional rescuers) and first aid for adults, children, and infants
- Individual and team rescue and response
What lifeguard training course should I take?
The Aquatic Training Academy offers a variety of lifeguard training courses. The lifeguard training course you will enroll in depends on the aquatic environment you’d like to work in. Below is the list of lifeguard training courses we offer:
- Shallow Swimming Pools (max depth 5 ft.)
- Swimming Pools (max depth 12 ft.)
- Deep Pools (max depth 20 ft.)
- Waterfronts (Includes bays, lakes, ponds, beaches, and swimming pools 20 ft. deep or less)
- Water Parks (Includes water parks and swimming pools 12 ft. deep or less)
- Youth Camps (Includes waterfronts and swimming pools 20ft. deep or less)
- Lifeguard Recertification Courses
What does lifeguard training look like?
We are excited to announce that we are now offering the newly enhanced American Red Cross blended-learning certification courses released in February 2024.
The online course consists of approximately 8-hours of self-paced instruction. This coursework is designed to build candidates’ background knowledge of preventative water and lifesaving skills, which they will build upon during their in-person training. Candidates are required to successfully complete their online course before attending the in-person training session. All online course information will be emailed to the candidates approximately two weeks before their in-person training.
Our in-person training allows candidates to learn and practice how to recognize, prevent, and respond to aquatic, breathing, and cardiac emergencies. At the start of our in-person training, candidates are required to demonstrate competency in pre-requisite skills, which can be found below. Upon successful completion of all course requirements, candidates will obtain their lifeguarding, first aid, CPR, and AED certifications.
Prerequisites for In-Person Training:
- Be at least 15 years old by the last day of the course
- Pass and complete the online coursework
- Pass a Pre-Skills Assessment appropriate for your course:
Shallow Swimming Pools
- Complete a swim-tread-swim sequence without stopping:
- Jump into the water and totally submerge.
- Resurface and swim 50 yards using front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination of both. Swimming on back or side is not allowed. Swim goggles are allowed.
- Maintain position at the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading using the legs only.
- Swim 50 yards using front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination of both.
- Complete a timed event within 50 seconds:
- Starting in the water, swim 20 yards (face may be in or out of the water, no goggles allowed).
- Submerge to a depth of 4-7 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.
- Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping the face at or near the surface.
- Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.
Swimming Pools & Waterparks
- Complete a swim-tread-swim sequence without stopping:
- Jump into the water and totally submerge.
- Resurface and swim 150 yards using front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination of both. Swimming on back or side is not allowed. Swim goggles are allowed.
- Maintain position at the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading using the legs only.
- Swim 50 yards using front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination of both.
- Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds:
- Starting in the water, swim 20 yards (face may be in or out of the water, no goggles allowed).
- Submerge to a depth of 7-10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.
- Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping the face at or near the surface.
- Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.
Deep Pools, Waterfronts & Youth Camps
- Complete a swim-tread-swim sequence without stopping:
- Jump into the water and totally submerge.
- Resurface and swim 350 yards using front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination of both. Swimming on back or side is not allowed. Swim goggles are allowed.
- Maintain position at the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading using the legs only.
- Swim 200 yards using front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination of both.
- Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds:
- Starting in the water, swim 20 yards (face may be in or out of the water, no goggles allowed).
- Submerge to a depth of 7-10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.
- Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping the face at or near the surface.
- Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.
- Complete an underwater swim:
- Swim 5 yards, submerge, and retrieve three dive rings placed 5 yards apart in 4-7 feet of water. Resurface and continue to swim another 5 yards.
How long is the course?
The length of our in-person training is dependent upon our training facility’s schedule. See our locations for in-person dates and times of training.
What are the requirements to obtain my lifeguarding certification?
To obtain your lifeguarding certification, lifeguarding candidates must:
- Complete online course content before in-person training dates and send documentation to the instructor.
- Attend the entire course and participate in all class sessions.
- Actively participate in all course activities, including assuming various roles during skills practices, drills, activities, and scenarios.
- Demonstrate proficiency in all skills.
- Pass the final written exam with a minimum of 80%.
- Pass the three (3) final skills assessments, which include a timed unconscious victim rescue scenario, a rotation and scanning assessment, and a final team response scenario.
Does my certification expire?
Yes. An American Red Cross lifeguarding certification is valid for two years.
How do I maintain my Lifeguarding Certification?
To maintain certification, lifeguards must complete a Lifeguarding Recertification course before expiration.
“The instructors are very kind and knowledgeable in the coursework and in instructing new guards. Throughout the course, they provided individual feedback and practice time to ensure all guards knew the proper techniques and were confident in themselves to complete the rescues. Finally, they were able to foster an inclusive working environment that made it comfortable and fun to learn in!“
Rachel Tortora
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