Lifeguard Certification Classes
Gain vital safety skills, earn your American Red Cross certifications, and launch your aquatic career with our expert-led courses.
Become a Certified Lifeguard at the YMCA
Gain vital skills to protect lives with our comprehensive Lifeguard Certification and Recertification courses. Our expert-led training equips you with the knowledge and abilities to effectively prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies. You will receive certifications in First Aid, AED, Water Rescue Skills, and CPR for the Professional Rescuer.
Work at the Y! Upon successful completion of the course, explore current job openings and apply to join our Foundation YMCA aquatics team as a certified lifeguard.
Course Options & Fees
Complete Lifeguard Course
Full training course for new lifeguards covering water skills, CPR/AED, and First Aid. Includes official Red Cross pocket mask.
Re-Certification Course
Designed for currently certified lifeguards looking to refresh their safety credentials before expiration.
Prerequisites & Course Requirements
To ensure the safety and success of all participants, the following prerequisites and completion requirements must be met:
Prerequisites for Enrollment
- Minimum Age: Must be at least 15 years old.
- Swim-Tread-Swim Sequence:
- Jump in, submerge, resurface, and swim 150 yards using front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination. (Backstroke or sidestroke not permitted. Swim goggles allowed.)
- Maintain position at the surface for 2 minutes by treading water using only your legs.
- Swim 50 yards using front crawl, breaststroke, or a combination.
- Timed Test (Complete within 1 minute, 40 seconds):
- Starting in the water, swim (face may be in or out of the water; no goggles).
- Surface dive (feet-first or head-first) to a depth of 7–10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.
- Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on your back to the starting point, holding the object with both hands and keeping your face near the surface.
- Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.
Certification Requirements
- Attend all class sessions.
- Demonstrate competency in all required skills.
- Demonstrate competency in 3 final skill scenarios.
- Correctly answer at least 80% of the questions on the final written exams.
Important Information to Know
- Online Pre-work: For the Complete Course, 7 hours of online pre-work must be completed at least 48 hours before the course start date. A link will be emailed to you, so please ensure your email is current at the Front Desk.
- First Day Assessment: Prerequisites will be assessed on the first day of the course. Failure to complete the online pre-work on time or demonstrate the prerequisites will result in an automatic failure, as per American Red Cross guidelines.
- Mandatory Completion: Successful completion of all online pre-work and prerequisites (300-yard swim, brick retrieval, treading) is mandatory to continue the course.
- Capacity: Class sizes are limited to a maximum of 10 participants per instructor and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Ready to Dive In?
Register online today or contact our Aquatics Director for upcoming class dates:
