Ten Things I Wish I Knew

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.