Late SeptemberOpen
Lifeguard course, fall
Two weekends at the pool
Water rescues, scanning and spacing, and rescue breaths and compressions on a manikin.
- Ages 15 and up
- Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Rented pool, Dubuque
Lifeguard and first-aid courses
Learn the deck from a retired fire captain
Courses for teens 15 and up, adults and pool managers, in a rented Dubuque pool. A swim test first, then the course, then a refresher when your course card runs out.
Courses by season
Lifeguard courses meet over two weekends. First aid and CPR is one Saturday morning, and recertification is one Sunday morning.
Fall through spring
- Mid OctoberOpen
First aid and CPR, fall
One Saturday morning
Checking a scene, compressions, rescue breaths, using an AED and caring for bleeding and burns.
- Ages 15 and up
- Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Rented pool, Dubuque
- Early JanuaryWaitlist
Lifeguard course, winter
Two weekends at the pool
The same course as the fall one, for students who start after the holidays.
- Ages 15 and up
- Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Rented pool, Dubuque
- FebruaryOpen
Recertification, winter
One Sunday morning
A skills refresher for guards whose course card is about to run out. Bring the card.
- Ages 15 and up
- Sunday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Rented pool, Dubuque
- Late MarchFull
Lifeguard course, spring
Two weekends at the pool
For students who want a card before the outdoor pools open.
- Ages 15 and up
- Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Rented pool, Dubuque
- AprilOpen
Staff group course, spring
A day for pool staff
Pool managers can book a course day for their own guards, billed once to the employer.
- Ages 15 and up
- Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Rented pool, Dubuque
Sample sessions.
Hours can change; the registration page has the latest.
Before the course
A swim test comes first
We describe the distances and times when you register, and you try the test in the pool before the course begins.
Swim a set distance
A continuous swim, front crawl or breaststroke, without stopping to hold the wall.
Tread water
Legs only, with your hands out of the water, for a set time.
Bring up a brick
Swim to the deep end, bring up a weight from the bottom and swim back with it.
Swim test, course, refresher
Four steps, in order: a swim test first, then the course, then a refresher when your course card runs out.
- 01
Swim test
Ages 15 and upSkillsA continuous swim of a set distance
Treading water with legs only
Bringing up a brick from the deep end
Moving upYou swim it once with an instructor watching. If a part needs work, we say what to practice and you try again.
- 02
Lifeguard course
After the swim testSkillsScanning a zone and spacing between guards
Water entries and approaches
Rescue carries at the surface
Rescue breaths and compressions on a manikin
Moving upYour instructor signs off each skill, and there is a written check on the last day.
- 03
First aid and CPR
With or after the courseSkillsChecking a scene
Compressions and rescue breaths
Using an AED
Bleeding and burns
Moving upA short skills check with your instructor.
- 04
Recertification
When your course card runs outSkillsA refresher on each rescue skill
What has changed in the guidelines since your last course
Rescue practice in the water
Moving upBring your earlier course card. The instructor checks it at the door.
Where to startRegister for a course
Sample levels.
Every student moves at their own pace. On the board, the numbers are instructors to participants, in the water and at practice stations.
Who is in the water
Who is with every group
Adults to children
1 adult to 6 children
Swim test, ages 15 and up
1 adult to 8 children
Lifeguard course, ages 15 and up
1 adult to 10 children
First aid and CPR, ages 15 and up
1 adult to 8 children
Recertification, ages 15 and up
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Lifeguard training
Safety routines
In the water and on the deck
An instructor is in the water or on the step with every group during practice, and no student practices a rescue alone.
Sign-in
Every student signs in at the start of the day and signs out at the end, and the instructor checks the list before each break.
Manikins and masks
Manikins and pocket masks are wiped down between students and between days.
Illness and closures
Students with a fever or an open wound stay home. If the pool closes, we message you the same morning.
Sample details.
Questions before you register
How old do I need to be?
Students are 15 or older on the first day of a lifeguard course. First-aid and CPR courses and recertification are for the same ages and for adults of any age.
What is the swim test?
A continuous swim, treading water and bringing up a brick from the deep end. We give the distances and times when you register, and you try the test at the pool before the course begins.
What if a part of the swim test needs work?
We tell you what to practice, and you try the test again before a later course. Nobody is turned away for trying again.
How long is a course?
A lifeguard course meets over two weekends, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. First aid and CPR is one Saturday morning, and recertification is one Sunday morning.
What do I bring?
A swimsuit, goggles if you like them, a towel, a water bottle and lunch. We say at registration which course materials we supply and which you bring.
Register for a course
Choose a course and a season on our enrollment page. If you would like to talk first, call or write and we will answer within a day.
Phone(563) 555-0104
Hours
- Monday to ThursdayToday
- 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Saturday and SundayToday
- 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- FridayToday
- Closed