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What to Bring to Lifeguard Recertification
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Ready to renew? See dates and prices for upcoming lifeguard recertification classes.
What to bring to lifeguard recertification is a short list, but one item on it decides whether you are assessed at all.
Your current certification, or its record. This is the one that matters. An instructor cannot assess you as a renewal candidate without evidence of the certification being renewed. Arrive without it and you risk being turned away or moved into the full course at the higher price. A photo of the card is usually enough; confirm with the provider in advance.
Photo ID. Standard for certification issue.
Swimsuit and towel. Something you can swim 300 yards in and perform a brick retrieval in. This is an assessment, not a swim.
A pocket mask or barrier device if you own one. Many providers supply them, but bringing your own means practising with the equipment you actually carry.
Water and a snack. Sessions run several hours with water work throughout, and dehydration degrades exactly the compression quality you are being assessed on.
A change of clothes. The written exam is more comfortable dry.
What should I not bring to lifeguard recertification?
Goggles are allowed for the 300 yard swim but not for the brick retrieval, because a submerged victim has to be located in the conditions you find them in. Do not plan around wearing them.
Fins, flotation aids and any other swimming aid are not permitted for the screen.
Turn up warmed up
Beyond the kit list, what to bring to lifeguard recertification that actually changes your result is preparation. Two or three pool sessions in the preceding fortnight restore the feel of a tube approach and a tired-legs tread far more effectively than anything in your bag. Guards fail the refresher screen, not the refresher knowledge.
What to bring to lifeguard recertification: frequently asked questions
What should I bring to lifeguard recertification?
Bring your current certification or its record, photo ID, a swimsuit and towel, a pocket mask if you own one, water and a snack, and a change of clothes. The certification record is the item that decides whether you can be assessed at all.
Can I wear goggles?
Goggles are allowed for the 300 yard swim but not for the brick retrieval, so do not build your plan around them. Fins and flotation aids are not permitted at all.
What happens if I forget my old certification?
You may be turned away or reclassified as a full course candidate at the higher price. Confirm in advance whether a photograph of the card is acceptable.
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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