Ten Things I wish I Knew before
Becoming a Lifeguard
11. Be
prepared to be bored.
While I was a lifeguard, I would spend a
couple hours a day watching over a nearly empty pool. I didn’t have a way to
entertain myself while watching over the patrons of the pool.
22. You
have to deal with unruly patrons.
On multiple occasions I was verbally abused
by patrons who didn’t agree with the pool rules. I didn’t think that this would
happen when I was training to become a lifeguard.
33. Get
to know your calmer patrons.
While a lifeguard, I got to know some of
the nicer patrons. This was nice because I was able to strike up conversations
with them. Towards the end of the summer, they also brought us things like food
to show their appreciation.
44. Try
to get along with your coworkers.
If you don’t get along with your coworkers,
you summer will suck because you spend so much time with them. Luckily, I knew
mine and got along with them very well. This led to a relaxed and fun summer
with little to no drama.
55. Remember
to practice your skills.
During the summer, you will probably have
to rescue someone. At this time, you may have to call on what you learned while
training. I had one rescue this summer and jumped into the pool using the wrong
jump. I still rescued the person and he was fine, but I also scraped my knee on
the bottom of the pool.
66. Carry
water.
This is super important because the sun is
constantly beating down on you while you’re on guard. You need to replace all
of the liquids you sweat out by carrying a bottle of water with you at all
times.
77. Have
sensible footwear.
As a lifeguard, you will spend a lot of
time on your feet. I didn’t know this, so my feet hurt quite a bit during the
first few days of working. After that I wizened up and bought some comfortable
shoes that allowed me to be on my feet all day.
88. Be
prepared to react.
While you may spend most of your time just
waiting and watching the patrons, you will have to jump in. You CANNOT freeze
up because there is a real chance someone could die. Luckily, I didn’t freeze
up and saved my patron.
99. Ignore
your technology.
During my breaks, I was usually on my phone
or iPod. This is not a good thing because even though technically I’m on break,
I still have to help in an emergency. It is best to just do something else like
eat a quick snack while on break or just relax.
110. Listen
to your Mate/Captain.
Your Mate/Captain is your boss. They are the
people who write and decide schedules. It is best not to get on their bad side
in case you need a favor later on in the summer. They all write your reviews at
the end of the summer, so you should listen to them.
