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Are there are any qualified lifeguards among us?

I've just booked my NPLQ (National Pool Lifeguard Qualification) for next next month and I'm pretty damn excited. I'm not too sure what exactly I'm getting myself in for, but as a competent swimmer and a dab hand at the theory work I hope that I'll get a qualification at the end of it and get into the leisure industry!

So, just wondering, anyone else done it?

I completed NPLQ few years ago as I had some free time. The course I was on was a week long course... (9 - 3), with exams at the end. However, never worked as a lifeguard, and i would have to redo the course if i want to work as a lifeguard. It was fun, but hard work, the pool was freezing and once we were out of the pool it was freezing due to a draughty, old leisure center (literally, it was snowing outisde).

Couple other guys were into speedos others were wearing shorts. Plus had to have a T-shirt on in and out of the pool, which made it feel even more cold.

And yes i look like the guy in your photo :) (i wish)

Zwimmer wrote:I completed NPLQ few years ago as I had some free time. The course I was on was a week long course... (9 - 3), with exams at the end. However, never worked as a lifeguard, and i would have to redo the course if i want to work as a lifeguard. It was fun, but hard work, the pool was freezing and once we were out of the pool it was freezing due to a draughty, old leisure center (literally, it was snowing outisde).

Couple other guys were into speedos others were wearing shorts. Plus had to have a T-shirt on in and out of the pool, which made it feel even more cold.

And yes i look like the guy in your photo :) (i wish)

Were you in the water every day? Or is the majority of it the theory work?

I'm doing it at a pretty decent leisure center, 50m pool, Ellie Simmonds trains there quite often (apparantly, I haven't seen her there but I'll take their word for it) so hopefully the conditions will be a bit better hah I don't do too well in the cold.

I was doing the course in one week. We were in the water twice. Once in the morning and once after lunch. The theory bit was done during mid-day. You'll do well I am sure. It's tough but enjoyable and you learn a lot of different useful skills.

I think some courses have a different structure.

Hey nate I lifeguard over the summer. Best time to do it in my opinion. Unfornately we wear boardshorts there really into speedos. Btw nice pic, I wouldn't mind being saved by him :) hehe.

Glad to announce I passed! Now to find a job!

Nate wrote:Glad to announce I passed! Now to find a job!

Congrats mate that's awesome to hear

Nate wrote:Glad to announce I passed! Now to find a job!

Congrats, hope you can find one man. I dont know how easy it is to get a job in England compared to the States at the moment.

Well done, Nate. It's a great qualification!

I'm a surf lifesaver. In Australia, lifesavers are volunteer members of a surf club and patrol at the beach at weekends, from Spring to mid Autumn. We're the guys in red and yellow.

We also have lifeguards at a lot of beaches in Australia. Those guys are professionals employed by the council, and patrol every day of the year. They're the ones in blue, and are seriously proficient in the water!

I'm pretty sure there are quite a few Aussie lifesavers on the forum. It's a great way to contribute to the community while getting an eyeful of hot men in speedos!!

budgybloke wrote:Well done, Nate. It's a great qualification!

I'm a surf lifesaver. In Australia, lifesavers are volunteer members of a surf club and patrol at the beach at weekends, from Spring to mid Autumn. We're the guys in red and yellow.

We also have lifeguards at a lot of beaches in Australia. Those guys are professionals employed by the council, and patrol every day of the year. They're the ones in blue, and are seriously proficient in the water!

I'm pretty sure there are quite a few Aussie lifesavers on the forum. It's a great way to contribute to the community while getting an eyeful of hot men in speedos!!

Do they wear speedos or boardshorts?

The uniform is red boardies and a yellow top, but we all wear speedos underneath. If I'm taking a board out for a paddle I'd keep the shorts on but any time we swim while on patrol it's generally in speedos. Normally each club has a particular colour and logo.

For those who might be interested:

Got my first job!!

Had the phonecall about 3 hours ago and I'm still absolutely buzzing. Hopefully the start of a great career for me!

Congratulations mate. That's a great achievement!

Best of luck on your new job!

Just thought I'd post a quick update as I've got five minutes to spare. I've now started the job (had my first day last Thursday) and I absolutely love it.

Don't get me wrong, all a pool lifeguard really means is that I'm a cleaner with a first-aid qualification, but it's great to be in a swimming pool surrounding talking to and working with people about something I'm most passionate about - swimming!

Haven't had to save anyone yet, it's a regular 25m pool that isn't too deep so rescues are few and far between. I've just had to shout at children a few times for sitting on lane ropes or unsafely jumping into the pool, fun times! Haha

As for the speedos side of thing, I wear my speedos underneath my shorts. Just thought it'd be most practical for if I ever had to jump in. Something a bit lighter and quick drying than a pair of boxer shorts.

During my first training session I didn't actually know I was going to jump into the pool and do tows and stuff in regular swimwear, I assumed we'd do the training in our uniform as that was more than likely the clothing we'd have on when performing a real rescue - so I didn't have my speedos on with me and as it was my first day didn't have speedos under my shorts. In the training session most of the guys wore shorts, two guys wore jammers, I guess I'll have to introduce the brief in my next training session in a months time!

So yeah, things are looking good, it's just a casual job (0 hour contract) so later on today I'm going to widen my horizons and go to other pools to see if they need another casual lifeguard on their books. Hopefully by the end of the year I'll have a contract somewhere and will be able to leave my retail job, that'd be nice.

I used to work in retail, and yes it does suck!

I wish you all the best with your new job(s)! Its always awesome to get into a field that you care about, and will actually enjoy going to work!

Nate wrote:Just thought I'd post a quick update as I've got five minutes to spare. I've now started the job (had my first day last Thursday) and I absolutely love it.

Don't get me wrong, all a pool lifeguard really means is that I'm a cleaner with a first-aid qualification, but it's great to be in a swimming pool surrounding talking to and working with people about something I'm most passionate about - swimming!

Haven't had to save anyone yet, it's a regular 25m pool that isn't too deep so rescues are few and far between. I've just had to shout at children a few times for sitting on lane ropes or unsafely jumping into the pool, fun times! Haha

As for the speedos side of thing, I wear my speedos underneath my shorts. Just thought it'd be most practical for if I ever had to jump in. Something a bit lighter and quick drying than a pair of boxer shorts.

During my first training session I didn't actually know I was going to jump into the pool and do tows and stuff in regular swimwear, I assumed we'd do the training in our uniform as that was more than likely the clothing we'd have on when performing a real rescue - so I didn't have my speedos on with me and as it was my first day didn't have speedos under my shorts. In the training session most of the guys wore shorts, two guys wore jammers, I guess I'll have to introduce the brief in my next training session in a months time!

So yeah, things are looking good, it's just a casual job (0 hour contract) so later on today I'm going to widen my horizons and go to other pools to see if they need another casual lifeguard on their books. Hopefully by the end of the year I'll have a contract somewhere and will be able to leave my retail job, that'd be nice.

Nate, how's it going? Sure by now, your Lifeguard mates have seen you in a speedo, hopefully!

Glad to see you have the passion to do this, your community is lucky to have you there, seriously, you are very committed; thanks!

Snowbrief wrote:
Nate, how's it going? Sure by now, your Lifeguard mates have seen you in a speedo, hopefully!

Glad to see you have the passion to do this, your community is lucky to have you there, seriously, you are very committed; thanks!

Hi Snowbrief, it's going great so far, absolutely loving it.

I went there yesterday before my shift to do a few lengths in my speedos and no-one batted an eyelid. No comments, no looks, no nothing - which I guess can only be a good thing.

Good thing yeah, though there shouldn't ever be an issue.. However, lame nobody "looked" though, a good looking guy in speedos I wouldn't be able to help myself but look!

Might need a selfi of you in the Lifeguards chair soon, Of course just in the speedo ;-)

I sympathize with you, Nate. It is a sad turn of events in this country (USA) in oh so many ways. I remember as a teenager going to a large water park nearly every summer and ALL of the male guards wore red nylon Speedos with the "Guard" logo on them - no exceptions. And although most of the male guests did not wear Speedos, they were not all that uncommon. In nearly every waiting line there would be at least ONE and sometimes 4 or 5 guys and boys wearing speedos. Now at the same park, all of the male guards wear today's frumpy, floppy "refugee shorts" as I call them because they remind me of pictures I used to see as a kid in National Geographic Magazine of very poor people in economically depressed South American or African countries wearing saggy, baggy, oversized shorts that looked like something left over from a church rummage sale.