Take a swimming class with a professional to make sure that your technique is right. Practice different swimming techniques like freestyle, breaststroke, or backstroke. Swimming in different ways will work out different muscles and make you a stronger swimmer. [2] X Research source
Jog on the beach if you can. Running on sand is more difficult than running on pavement or grass and therefore more productive. Some say that it is also good for your joints. [3] X Research source Running on sand will further prepare you for a lifeguard position at the beach. Run up stairs or stadiums to build your lower body strength. In order to swim as fast as you can, you must have strong legs to help propel yourself through the water.
Do pull-ups, dips, bench presses, and curls to build upper body and arm strength. Upper body strength is absolutely necessary in order to carry victims back to safety. Try sit-ups to strengthen your abdominals. It is important for your entire body to be fit. A slimmer and stronger torso will help you go through the water faster.
Choose training based on where you want to be a lifeguard. There are usually separate courses for lifeguarding at an indoor pool, lake, beach, and water park. Classes are usually six weeks long. For Ellis and Associates, there is a crash course that only lasts 3 days.
Clearly poor swimmers bob their head in and out of the water frequently, always have their hands on the edge of the pool and pull themselves around, or cling onto flotation devices and are scared to swim away from them. The most obvious warning signs are from swimmers who constantly ask for help from others, who wave their arms around frantically, and are the quickest to show signs of panic. Often times, drowning begins with absolutely no signs or struggle. Watch for people who slip under the water and do not come back up.
Only swim when a lifeguard is on duty. No running or rough-housing near the water’s edge. Take hygienic precautions like using waterproof diapers on babies. Do not go swimming with open wounds. Do not drink from glass containers in or near the water. Do not drink large quantities of alcohol or do drugs before swimming. Get out of the water during thunderstorms.
Lifeguards use flotation devices like rescue tubes, rescue buoys, and ring buoys to help people stay afloat. Lifeguards also have access to medical equipment normally seen in ambulances and hospitals like resuscitation and defibrillator equipment. Lifeguards also have spinal boards to help move people that may have injured their spines, as well as basic first aid kits, capable of bandaging scrapes and cuts. Lifeguards use barrier devices called face shields or pocket masks. These are placed over the victim’s mouth during CPR to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases via bodily fluids.
Riptide is one of the most dangerous situations for inexperienced swimmers. Riptides, also known as rip currents, pull swimmers away from shore at speeds too high even for experienced Olympic swimmers. The trick is to swim parallel to the shore, until you escape the riptide. [5] X Research source Shore breaks are a serious threat at the beach as well. When waves break too close to the shore, they can be unpredictable, can knock people down, and can cause serious neck and spinal injury. Even the most experienced beach-goers can still be caught off guard. [6] X Research source Red tide can seriously effect the safety of swimming conditions too. Every year, certain colonies of algae, often referred to as blooms, produce too many toxins. These toxins accumulate and cause red tide. Red tide can kill marine life and cause serious illness in human beings. [7] X Research source The ocean is home to millions of different life forms, but some visit shorelines and beaches more commonly than others. Be aware of threats presented by jelly-fish, sharks, crabs, and the myriad other swimming and crawling creatures that live along the coast. [8] X Research source
You will be tested on patron surveillance, victim assessment, care for neck, spine, and head injuries, CPR techniques, and on general swimming safety protocol. [9] X Research source Physical tests differ based on where you take the certification exams. Some require you to swim 300 yards, tread water in one place for 2 minutes without support, swim using various techniques, surface dive to a depth of 7 to 10 feet (2. 1 to 3. 0 m), and hold your breath for 1 to 2 minutes. Make sure all of your certifications stay up to date. Most certifications only last one to five years. If your certification expires, it will be hard to find a job as a lifeguard.
On occasion, local pools will pay for your lifeguard certification. In most cases, they will want you to have your certification before they will hire you.
Be friendly. People are more likely to want to hire you, if you are nice to them. This tip is important for actually being a lifeguard too. The public is more likely to follow your rules, if you are nice to them. Some will purposefully not follow safety guidelines to spite you, if you were mean to them. Employers want pleasant lifeguards around that will make people feel safe. Stress your vigilance, excellent swimming skills, knowledge acquired through your lifeguard training , along with your people skills. Employers want pleasant lifeguards around that will make people feel safe.
