How to Become a Lifeguard in New York

Most people who fail to become a lifeguard in New York do not fail the course. They fail the prerequisite swim test in the first hour of day one, and go home. This page is about that hour, and about what the rest of the day actually looks like, because the sequence is rarely explained before people book.

The prerequisite test you take before the course starts

Before any instruction happens, you have to pass a swim evaluation. It is not a formality and it is not graded generously:

• A continuous timed swim, front crawl or breaststroke, with your face in the water. Side-to-side breathing is expected, and stopping ends the attempt.
• Treading water without using your hands, arms crossed over the chest. This is the element that catches strong swimmers who have never trained legs-only.
• A timed brick retrieval: swim out, surface dive to the bottom, bring a ten pound brick up, and return on your back holding it with both hands, face clear of the water.

If any of the three fails, the day ends there. Train the tread and the brick specifically, in a pool, before you book.

What the rest of the day looks like

1. Morning. Water entries, approach strokes, and rescues of a passive victim, then an active one who does not want to be rescued.
2. Midday. Spinal injury management in shallow and deep water, which is the slowest and most technical section.
3. Afternoon. CPR and AED for the Professional Rescuer, one and two rescuer, plus bag-valve-mask.
4. Late afternoon. First Aid scenarios and the written exam.
5. Evening. Final in-water skills scenarios assessed under time pressure, which is why the day runs to 8:30 PM.

Age, and the gap nobody explains

You can certify at 15, but most New York employers hire at 16, and county positions often require 16. That gap is useful rather than wasted: certify at 15, spend a season building hours where you can, and arrive at the 16-year-old hiring round already holding a current card while everyone else is still trying to book a course.

What it costs and how long it lasts

Certification is $420 for the single full day, 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, covering lifeguarding with First Aid and CPR/AED. The card is valid two years. Renewal is $265 and takes one day, but only while the certificate is unexpired. Let it lapse and you pay the full $420 again.

Frequently asked questions about how to become a lifeguard in New York

How fit do I need to be to become a lifeguard in New York?

Comfortable rather than athletic. The swim distances are short. What defeats people is treading without hands and retrieving weight from the bottom, both of which are technique and practice rather than fitness.

Can I become a lifeguard in New York if I cannot dive to the bottom?

Not yet. The surface dive and brick retrieval are non-negotiable. It is a learnable skill, and a few sessions in a deep pool usually solves it.

What should I bring on the day?

Swimwear you have already trained in, goggles that fit, a towel, food for a long day, and photo identification. The day runs over ten hours.

What happens if I fail the written exam?

The written section is the least common failure point by a wide margin. Retesting policy depends on the session, so ask on the day rather than assuming.

Where do I go next after I become a lifeguard in New York?

See lifeguard certification for dates, or lifeguard jobs and careers for what the work pays.