Lifeguard Classes in Long Island

If you want to be a lifeguard in Long Island then the best place to start is by enrolling in a lifeguard training course. These courses are run all year round and fully prepare participants for lifeguard exams and the job in general. This article will tell you all you need to know about taking lifeguard training classes in Long Island.

Taking a Lifeguard Class Long Island

Lifeguard training classes are pretty much the only way to become a lifeguard in Long Island. You can take classes that are designed for lifeguarding in swimming pools, or the more advanced courses that are for beach and waterfront lifeguarding. All the courses have very similar specifications in the first aid and CPR/AED areas, but the open water and beach courses will have more demanding swimming tests to make sure you're up to the job.

The main aim of a lifeguarding class is to prepare you for the final assessments and to teach you everything you need to know about being a responsible lifeguard. The course content is laid out by the American Red Cross, so it has a heavy focus on health and safety and general first aid. This means you can expect plenty of CPR classes, AED classes, and other first responders training. If you have a busy schedule you can even take online lifeguard classes.

How do I become a Lifeguard in Long Island?

To become a lifeguard in Long Island you need to pass the New York State Department Lifeguard Certification exam. Once you have this qualification, you'll be free to apply for jobs anywhere in New York.

However, you first need to choose what kind of lifeguard Certification you want to achieve. There are different options for regular pool, shallow pool, beach, and waterfront lifeguarding, and each has different requirements to pass. Just make sure that you apply for the one you want, and which you think is realistically achievable for you.

What certifications will I need?

As we described above, you'll need a certification from the State Department of Health in New York. To get to this stage, you'll have to enroll in an American Red Cross lifeguard training course that will give you the skills needed to pass the final assessments.

You must also be at least 15 years old and be able to demonstrate some reasonable swimming skills on the first day of the class. For the final assessment itself, you'll have to complete a swimming test made up of various procedures and maneuvers, as well as a written exam.

What will training courses cover?

The aim of the training courses is to prepare participants for the Certification Test. The Certification Test is the final step for anyone that wants to become a lifeguard in Long Island. The Lifeguard training has a heavy focus on first aid, responding to emergencies, basic life support (CPR/AED procedures), and general health and safety, but your lifeguard instructors will also provide classes that work on your swimming.

The CPR/AED lifeguard training classes are some of the most important in the course and deal with basic life support and how to respond to emergency situations. A lot of focus is put on the CPR class in particular since most people haven't done any CPR training before. All of this training will be assessed in the final written exam.

The swimming classes will focus on the procedures that you'll have to perform during the test (we'll talk about these in the next section) and aim to build your confidence in the water. Your water safety instructor will help you out with all of this so don't worry if you're not the strongest swimmer in the world.

What will the test cover?

The final lifeguard test might sound daunting, but it really isn't. You'll have had some excellent training leading up to the test and if you keep calm then you'll breeze through it. The swim test is made up of quite a few different sections that we've tried to layout below:

Endurance swim - The endurance section is a 300-yard continuous swim. The candidate must swim for 100 yards using front crawl, 100 yards using breaststroke, and 100 yards using either stroke. Both strokes must be completed with good form but there is no time limit for the swim. This is probably the section that participants find most difficult, but will some dedicated practice this is achievable for everyone.
Tread water - Participants must be able to comfortably tread water for 2 minutes. Although this may sound like a long time, once you get your technique nailed down, you'll be able to complete this with ease.
Surface dive - Here, candidates must swim forward 20 yards, before surface diving to the bottom of the pool and retrieving a 10-pound object. They must then return to the surface and carry the weight back to the starting point and exit the water without using the steps.
Written exam - The written lifeguard exam will focus on the things learned in the CPR/AED class and require candidates to demonstrate knowledge of first aid, emergency oxygen procedures and how to act as a first responder. The biggest part of the exam is probably the CPR section.

Once you've got through the final assessments, then you're well on your way to becoming a county lifeguard or water safety instructor!

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