It depends a lot on what type of Lifeguard you want to be. You can be a regular pool lifeguard by going through your local Red Cross chapter (find that chapter by going to www.redcross.org). You can also get training through the Red Cross to become a Waterfront or Waterpark Lifeguard. If you want to go to work for an organization like the YMCA, they have their own lifeguarding programs in most parts of the country (www.ymca.org). Beachfront lifeguards in places like California or Hawaii may have to go through specific training through the local beachfront officials. For the most part you have to be at least 15 years of age for most Lifeguard Programs and they can range in prices depending on the area you are in.

You also need to be a demonstrably strong swimmer. As well, you will typically need basic first aid training, including CPR. Most communities have some kind of agency, club or business that teaches swim lessons. The lessons are typically divided up into levels that you advance through as you gain experience. Typically, there will be basic and advanced lifesaving courses which are often a pre-requisite for becoming a lifeguard.

As has been posted, there are several lifeguard agencies. Each one has somewhat of its own specialty, although they do overlap quite a bit. Based on my own experience as a lifeguard and swimming instructor (double certed YMCA & American Red Cross), here are the basics: American Red Cross (ARC)--sort of the standard lifeguarding agency in the U.S. Certifications: Jr. Lifeguard Training--no validity period; this is not really a certification, but a pre-lifeguard program; Jr. LGT's may assist actual lifeguards in such duties as dispatching kids down a water slide or cleaning locker rooms (sounds like fun, doesn't it?!) WSI Aid--WSI's certify these; basically they assist instructors during swim lessons; this course was removed in the 2004 revision (r.04) of the WSI manual, but it is still referred to from time to time; I assume facilities now make up their own versions of the WSI Aid course since my "new" WSI manual contains nothing on this area, but you might try consulting your local pool Lifeguard Training (LGT)--valid 3 years, requires CPR-PR (valid 1 year--from American Heart Association or the ARC) and Standard First Aid (valid 3 years--usually from ARC) certifications; a 36-hr course; allows a person to lifeguard at a swimming pool (regular pools only!); must be 15 years of age by end of course; very modular course (basic LGT only covers pool surveillance and rescue); test is multiple-choice, 60 questions (15 CPR, 15 First Aid, 15 Emergency Preparation, 15 Lifeguard Training--entire test is pretty easy, although I have heard of 2nd and 3rd year guards messing up large sections...); basic swimming requirements include "The 500" (200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 choice of breast or freestyle) and "The Brick" (dive to 9+ feet, get 10-lb brick, swim to surf, tread water for 2 minutes with brick above head) and swimming across the pool (on your back) holding a 10-lb brick above the water Waterpark Lifeguard Training--never expires; requires LGT; 25-question multiple choice test (moderately difficult; be sure to read your manual first, because when I took it most of us didn't realize we needed to and a Lifeguard Instructor in the class failed the written test...!) Waterfront Lifeguard Training--no expiration; requires LGT; 25-questions multiple choice test (have not taken this course, so I do not know the test, although I've seen it in the LGI manual....) Lifeguard Management--no expiration; no pre-reqs, although ARC recommends lifeguarding and/or management experience; basically a rewrite of the ARC Head Guard certification (which was so bad most facilities refused to use it!); this course is theoretically to help prepare lifeguards to manage pools (generally as head guards or pool managers); the course focuses on keeping one's staff safe as well as the patrons; the test is 25 questions, multiple choice and is extremely easy if you've had experience as a lifeguard (very much common sense--for example, what is the primary responsibility of a lifeguard supervisor?--if you can't figure that one out, you've got no business being a manager! lol); the ONLY lifeguarding course that's all out of the water! (no aquatics skills testing) Water Safety Instructor (WSI)--valid 2 years from last class taught (renewable only by teaching); requires FIT (Fundamentals of Instructor Training) certificate (which is typically earned as a module before the actual WSI class begins); allows a person to teach basic water safety and swimming classes; must be 16 years of age by end of course (r.04 changed this from 17 to 16! Thank you, Clay Shuck of C.S.P.R. for getting this age limit lowered!); prereq skills include swimming "The 500" (different from LGT 500--basically it tests the 6 basic strokes--front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, butterfly, elementary backstroke and sidestroke) and various basic rescue techniques taught in the ARC Learn to Swim program (as well as in the ARC Basic Water Rescue and Community Water Safety courses) Lifeguard Instructor Training, Water Safety Instructor Trainer, Lifeguard Instructor Trainer--These are top-level certifications are typically given to management in order to train water safety instructors, lifeguards and lifeguard instructors; "basic level certifications" are the lowest level (e.g., Lifeguard, Lifeguard Manager, Water Safety Instructor Aid, etc.); Basic Level certifications are given by Instructors; Instructors are certified by Instructor Trainers (aka IT's); this is pretty consistent across certification agencies YMCA--a proprietary lifeguarding/water safety agency, the YMCA prides itself for excellence, although everybody else laughs at them! Lifeguard--Harder to gain than the basic ARC Lifeguard certificate, but it is not nearly as modular as the Red Cross program as it covers pools, beaches (non-surf), waterparks, and basic lifeguard management in one 45-hr course; the final test is 15 sections long with 225 questions (15 questions/section), questions are a nasty combination of essay, matching, true/false, multiple choice, and listing; participants must get at least 80% on each section to pass; one retry of the entire test is offered (after that, the student must repeat the course); must be 16 to take course; prereq skills are similar to ARC LGT, although "The 500" is modified (200 free, 100 breast, 100 sidestroke, 100 modified sidestroke--top leg moving back instead of forward) Swim Instructor--similar to WSI; must be 16 to take course Ellis & Assoc.--focuses on waterpark safety and claims to have lifeguards at 90% of all waterpark facilities in the U.S. I really don't know their system, although from what I've been told, it's similar to the YMCA's United States Lifesaving Association (USLA)--focuses on beach lifeguarding; requires more endurence than any other LGT program, best guards; only LG-certifying authority to certify ocean (surf) guards; requires previous experience w/ another LGT program to be considered for USLA; must be 16; a 500 meter swim in the ocean is required, as is a 200 meter run across the beach--USLA sets time limits on swim and run (10 min i believe--to simulate an actual emergency) I hope that gives you a better idea of lifeguarding. It's a lot of fun, but don't expect it to be easy. Lifeguards are required to keep a good, positive attitude in the face of possible stress at any time. We are a fun group of people, but we have to know what to do when someone's life is on the line. Maturity, patience, self-control and social/relational/people skills are the most important skills for a lifeguard to possess. If you have further questions, feel free to email me at cskier2004@hotmail.com or contact one of the certifying agencies. Mike

I became certified through the American Red Cross. The exam included testing of CPR, standard first aid, various rescue holds, carry techniques, poolside extraction/removal of an unconscious victim, a deep dive and retrieval of 'heavy' object (my fav part, as I got to sit in a shopping cart at the bottom of the pool to test the others), treading water, a lengthy underwater swim requirement, and a timed mile long swim.

a good Question.