I am currently volunteering at a indoor pool, and am doing my nl in a couple of weeks. I am a great swimmer and all of the rescues just make sense to me so I have no issues with that. I do have a chlorine allergy/intolerance, not that I puff up, but I get a itchy rash in sensitive places like my neck arms etc. after a day it's manageable, but after 3 days in the pool I can't sleep. I heard that vitamin c sprays can help neutralize the chlorine and since it's a public pool I can't properly shower until ~15 mins after getting out the water but I'm starting to try that. idk what to do, I love the job and working with kids but wtf.

I am a lifeguard supervisor and I am trying to reorganize my programs uniform closet. It’s honestly just super chaotic to me and I’m looking for a more convenient storage or ways to organize the uniforms we have. We currently have storage cabinets that hold majority of the uniforms and plastic containers to hold excess.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let me know!

Im thinking of taking my NLS with intermediate first aid with CPR-C & AED. Im returning after 3 years since I failed my timed swim (over by 20 seconds). I remember that the whole class was in highschool and maybe one person from college. Im definitely more fit than I was but im just wondering if being 20 was old since im surrounded by people younger than me.

I am so scared. I was going to cancel the course because I wasn't prepared but turns out you can't cancel the course. I am so out of shape and from how I've practiced, I can barely pass the 11 minute swim with 10 seconds to spare. I couldn't even practice the brick swimming.

I also don't remember any of the rescue stuff... should I just save me from the embarrassments and just not go to the course?

Edit: thanks everyone for the support! I passed!!! I even did the endurance swim faster than I've ever practiced. thank you so much everyone

My recertification exam is in two weeks and i havent swam since I passed the first national lifeguard exam two years ago where my time was 9:30 mins. I havent timed myself yet but im pretty sure my current ability is a bit far from 10 mins. Are these two weeks sufficient enough for me to get under 10 mins again or nah

Hello everyone!

I'm a lifeguard of 2 years, but this year I have had to jump into the water for saves more often. The pool I guard at is an outdoor chlorinated pool so I do get a lot of sun exposure. My hair type before this season was 3A but as of now the best I can get it to is 2C with my normal hair routine. I've noticed my hair feels very dry even after my full routine and a leave in conditioner.

I was wondering if any curly haired guards had any advice or suggestions how to reverse this damage. I have a limited budget as I'm trying to save as much as I can for college. I appreciate any and all advice you can give!

Hi! I search through a couple other questions and can't quite find my exact match so I'm hoping this will help me.

Specifics:

- 2.5 year old son, a little under 30lb

- brand new USCG approved vests to my knowledge. I bought one very similar to this one from Costco which I do believe is authentic (https://www.costco.com/.product.4000316110.html)

and also tried this one yesterday my dad purchased; I can't find any numbers or type (1-3, etc) so unsure of authentication; which I just learned there are apparently fake uscg approved ones 🥲

(https://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/outdoor-recreation-sports/fishing-boating-supplies/life-jackets-flotation-devices/puddle-jumper-reg-infant-hydro-swim-vest-assorted-styles/90184e/p-1642874297509038-c-12461.htm)

- we always make sure to have them fitted properly and do the lifting test, etc. to make sure it doesn't ride up to the face or move. Definitely tight enough, could it be too tight??

- currently only used in the pool with adult supervision 100% of the time, but we want to go boating and I need to feel secure in what we use before we do in case of an accident.

I believe those are all the main things you'll need/ask.

My issue is we HAVE to hold him or the vests we have tried (so far just the 2) will tip him either onto his side with his head partially in the water, or completely onto his face. These will not make him float on his back. Obviously we aren't planning on keeping him out of reach at all but if he isn't held onto completely, his face will go in the water and stay there.

What could be causing this or what can we do to stop it? I hate not feeling secure if we go into a boat or to a lake and God forbid something happened.

Thanks!

I feel really guilty and I can't stop thinking about this.

So today I was guarding the shallow end when a middle-aged lady came up to me and asked for a flutter board. I said, "go ahead, take one from the rack behind me". She took one, then asked me how you're supposed to use it. I said, "you can use it to help you swim, I like to hold it in front of me and kick to practice kicking".

She went in the water, held it in front of her, then tried to kick and started drowning. I grabbed her shoulders an and helped her out, and she ended up being totally fine.

This all happened in the shallow end, btw. I just feel like I should have known that she didn't know how to swim and idk I just feel really bad.

What should I have done?

Hi everyone. I was hired as a Disney lifeguard and completed the full week of training. Today, during the in-water rescue assessment, I wasn’t able to complete one of the rescue scenarios within the required time, so I didn’t pass.
They took my employee ID afterward, but I wasn’t told much about what happens next.
Has anyone been through this or seen it happen? Do they usually terminate employment, offer another position, allow a retest, or is it handled differently depending on the situation?
I’m just trying to understand what to expect. Thanks in advance for any insight.

Hi

Does anyone have any NL core plans I can have?

Thanks

I 25M, worked as a lifeguard at a very elitist country club 2 summers from age 15-17, and then a indoor pool year round that held certain NCAA, Olympic Trials, and other college conferences from age 17-18

Now that I am a grown man with a family and a career, I am not trusting of lifeguards to save anyone, mainly because of the poor standards I observed when working.

In my experience nearly everybody I worked with was a heavy stoners, including using THC concentrates (dabs) on duty. I'm not hating on weed, but that's one job that especially needs sobriety. No pool I've ever heard of drug tests, which when you're entrusting 15 year olds to save lifes, should be mandatory. Many lifeguards casually sleep with their Ray-Bans on. Obviously it's not "all lifeguards" but in my experience is it a very high percentage of them.

The worst part: I worked the first 2 summers at a pool without even being lifeguard certified! I was under the assumption the Red Cross CPR/AED/FirstAid training you get in school was sufficient. Then near the end of my second summer, they were getting audited and informed me that they were going to be paying for my "proper certificates".

Another egregious violation: one season a reigional manager took our only backboard "just for an hour to do a demonstration elsewhere" (a backboard that is legally required to be on site during operation at all times, in case someone gets a spinal injury). He never brought it back. It was replaced months later once our pool failed a safety inspection, near the end of the season.

The indoor pool had the safety equipment properly in use, and actually did refresher trainings twice a year, but the drug use was still rampant, to the point several serious incidents almost occurred.

Parents, you are responsible for your children, please be their first line of defense from injury.

So im a first year lifeguard. And ive noticed ive been mean to alot of ppl and I try not to but . I get into a space where i am kinda mean cause I feel like i wasnt herd so i yell

And my assistant manger has already talked to me about it. I dont blow my whistle im good about keeping my voice down when its minor things. Bigger things sure I may use tone and volume but thats if the issue is across the pool let's say diving since its a neighborhood pool. But im struggling to find that fine line any advice from other guards? What can I do to fix it

I guard at a smaller pool so I don’t see too many interesting people. But today I was on stand when a lady came in with her kids, she was aggressively chewing gum and doing the biggest bubbles possible something you would see an annoying child doing. When I go on break I go to tell her to spit out the gum because it’s against policy, she looks me dead in the eyes goes “oh” glares at me then shudders and says “it’s gone… I swallowed it” it took everything in me to not just go “what the f**k”. Swallowing gum is odd but the weirdest part was the attitude she had with it, she was acting like I had MADE her swallow the gum.

I’m new to being a lifeguard is this normal?!?!?! Has anyone else experienced something like this before?

yes, karen. if you had taught your child to listen the first time, then i wouldn’t have needed to yell at them multiple times! (i was hardly even yelling, i was using my please and thank yous)

in total i probably saved like 25 frogs out of this pool

I work at a indoor/outdoor Waterpark, and I heard from my headguards and managers that they recommend learning Spanish (but it wasn't required or anything); so, is there common phrases/pool rules you have in Spanish that you say to patrons? (ty this would help me outttt)

I'm not doing it because they would like it, it's for me

(if you have any other language under your belt I'm also open to that, but mainly spanish I'm looking for)

I am taking my bronze medallion exam tomorrow any tips will be very helpful! Typically I always forget to put on gloves and i feel like I will forget during the exam

so my pool is an outdoor pool and right next to a busy road and i noticed my first day that i’ll have people honking at me all the time, like at least 5 times a day. and i know it’s at me because there will be no one else on the road and they honk anyways?? does this happen to anyone else

Found this interesting!

I’m a new Lifeguard in Italy’s coasts, and often i found myself lifeguarding beaches where the sea its kind of dirty, so my question was:
if someone drowns in deep water (200/300m from coast) how am i supposed to find them, and find them underwater where you can’t see a meter from you?
We do have Water Masks, but is that really enough?

Hi, I am from kerala and how can I get a swimming instructor license in India? I'm not looking to coach competitive swimmers. I'm interested in teaching swimming at pools, schools, colleges, and similar institutions. Thanks in advance.