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Lifeguard Swim Test Distances
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The lifeguard swim test distances are fixed numbers, and knowing them exactly is the difference between training for the test and training near it.
Lifeguard Swim Test Distances and Depths
300 yards continuous. In a 25 yard pool that is 12 lengths. In a 25 metre pool it is 11 lengths, since 300 yards is about 274 metres. Check which your facility uses, because candidates who count 12 lengths in a metre pool swim further than required and candidates who count 11 in a yard pool swim short.
20 yards out, 20 yards back for the brick retrieval. Under one length each way in a 25 yard pool.
7 to 10 feet of depth for the dive, run in the deepest water available within that range at the facility.
10 pounds for the brick. A standard diving brick.
2 minutes of treading, legs only.
1 minute 40 seconds as the standard limit for the full brick sequence, from the start of the 20 yard swim to exiting the water.
What is timed and what is not
Only the brick sequence is timed. The 300 yards has no limit, and the tread has a minimum rather than a target. Candidates routinely exhaust themselves racing the 300 because they assume it is timed, and then fail the tread that follows.
Train in the pool you will be tested in
If you can, at least once. The lifeguard swim test distances feel different in an unfamiliar pool, and the depth available for the retrieval varies between facilities. A candidate who has only ever dived to 7 feet is in for a surprise at a facility using 10.
Converting for open water training
If you train in a lake, 300 yards is roughly three lengths of a football field. Distance judgement in open water is unreliable, so use a measured course or a watch rather than estimating.
Lifeguard swim test distances: frequently asked questions
What are the lifeguard swim test distances?
The lifeguard swim test distances are 300 yards continuous, 20 yards out and 20 back for the brick retrieval, a dive to 7 to 10 feet, a 10 pound brick, two minutes of leg-only treading, and a 1 minute 40 second limit on the brick sequence.
How many lengths is 300 yards?
Twelve lengths of a 25 yard pool, or eleven lengths of a 25 metre pool since 300 yards is about 274 metres. Counting the wrong one means swimming too far or too short.
Which parts are timed?
Only the brick sequence, at 1 minute 40 seconds. The 300 yard swim has no time limit and the tread has a two minute minimum rather than a target.
Reviewed by Jackie Stern, Lifeguard Instructor, Firefighter and EMT. Jackie Stern has taught lifeguarding for more than 20 years and works as a firefighter, EMT and swim instructor. She reviews course content, prerequisites and rescue standards against current certification requirements.
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