New this year to the Ruby Outdoors repertoire is the offering of a Shallow-Water Lifeguarding course.
Who is this course for?
Shallow-water lifeguarding is for organizations that have aquatic facilities that are no more than 7 feet deep and have enough lifeguards on staff that it is possible to have lifeguards who only work at these shallow water environments.
Why now?
There continues to be a shortage of lifeguarding candidates who are comfortable in the water and have strong swimming skills. The Shallow-Water Lifeguarding course has less strenuous prerequisites and does not require students to go beyond 7 feet deep in the water for skill practice. If folks are unable to submerge even to seven feet deep, there is an option to be certified for a max water depth of 5’ or 6’ depending on their demonstration of proficiency at those depths during class. If participants who are certified in shallow-water want to proceed to the deep-water Lifeguarding course, they may take a 10.5 hour crossover course to upgrade to the deep-water certification. The shallow-water certification offers a nice option for folks who may be interested in lifeguarding to earn a certification and begin to work as a lifeguard in aquatic environments that are more appropriate for their abilities while also exposing them to what they need to work on to be able to progress to a deep-water certification.
What are the prerequisites for Shallow-Water Lifeguarding?
Swim-tread-swim sequence: swim 50 yards, tread for 2 minutes without hands in water between 5’-7’ deep (and without touching the bottom), and then immediate swim an additional 50 yards. The swimming must be either front crawl/freestyle or breaststroke and demonstrate rhythmic breathing with the face in the water
Timed event - swim 20 yards, dive to the bottom of the water (no more than 7’ deep), collect and 10 lb brick and swim on your back without your hands 20 yards. Return the brick to the deck and climb out. This must be completed in 50 seconds or less.
*For someone certifying in Shallow-Water at no more than 5’ deep, the participant must swim to the brick but may walk once they have retrieved it from the bottom
Can a shallow-water lifeguarding also be waterfront certified?
No. The waterfront add-on is only valid when paired with a current lifeguarding (deep water) certification.
Is this a separate class from the Lifeguarding (Deep Water) class?
Yes. However, they can be offered using a “stacked” course format. In this format, all students learn skills together and are tested on only the skills for the particular class they are taking.
For instance, if you have four strong swimmers on staff who are confident in their ability to pass the Lifeguarding (Deep Water) class but would like to have a couple more guards on staff who can guard your shallow swimming pool (with a depth no greater than 7’), then all of these students can take their class together. The Lifeguarding (Deep Water) students will be eligible for a waterfront add-on and will learn a few skills specific to water depths over 7’. Each student will complete their final assessments appropriate to the depth of the water for the course they are taking.
What is the difference in pricing?
Believe it or not, the way the pricing structure is with the Red Cross, Ruby Outdoors charges the same rates for shallow or deep-water lifeguarding classes for both instruction fees and per-person fees.
What aquatic facilities/activities could these guards be lifeguards for?
a pool that is no more than 7 feet deep at any point
A pool that is mostly shallow water and a separate guard who is Lifeguarding (Deep Water) is available for surveillance duty in the deep section
A swim test in shallow water for younger campers
What if I don’t want this offered at my camp?
It will not be offered by default. Camps who do want shallow-water lifeguarding taught simultaneously to their Lifeguarding (Deep-Water) certification must opt-in as many organizations do not have use for these guards. Be in touch with Ruby if you do want to offer Shallow Water Lifeguarding as an option at your facility.