Lifeguard & Swim Instructor Certification
Lifeguard Certification Courses
The course provides entry-level participants the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies and to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries and sudden illnesses until EMS personnel take over. The course provides individuals the certification necessary to be a lifeguard at Old Town Hot Springs and other facilities.
Upcoming Courses:
- August 6, 2025 Lifeguard Recertification 8 am – 5:30 pm (must have current Red Cross Lifeguarding certification or be expired by less than 30 days to participate)
- August 3-5, 2025. Lifeguarding (including Deep Water) and First Aid/CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer.
*You must attend all three days of in-person class and 6+ hours of online learning.
All classes are held at Old Town Hot Springs.
COST: Lifeguard certification is FREE for well-qualified applicants who commit to working at Old Town Hot Springs. For questions or other certification date options, please reach out to the Aquatics Director, Rob Gram. For those not working at Old Town Hot Springs, the class is $395. Class price is nonrefundable after registration.
Sign up for Course:
Lifeguard Certification Class Prerequisites
To participate in the Lifeguarding course, individuals must be able to complete the following prerequisites on the first day of class:
Minimum age: 15 years old.
Prerequisite 1: Complete a swim-tread-swim sequence without stopping to rest:
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- Jump into the water and totally submerge, resurface then swim 150 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both. (Swimming on the back or side is not permitted. Swim goggles are allowed.)
- Maintain position at the surface of the water for 2 minutes by treading water using only the legs.
- Swim 50 yards using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both
Prerequisite 2: Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds:
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- Starting in the water, swim 20 yards. (The face may be in or out of the water. Swim goggles are not allowed.)
- Surface dive (feet-first or head-first) to a depth of 7 – 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object.
- Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on the back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping the face out, at, or near the surface.
- Exit the water without using a ladder or steps.
Check out Old Town Hot Springs employment opportunities:
Swim Instructor Certification Course
Earn your Water Safety Instructor (WSI) certification and gain the skills needed to be a Swimming Instructor at Old Town Hot Springs. Being a Swim Instructor is an excellent summer job in Steamboat Springs. Additionally, Swim Instructors can work year-round by teaching private swim lessons.
Class Prerequisites
To participate in the Swim Instructor certification course, individuals must:
- Be at least 16 years of age.
- Demonstrate the ability to perform the following swimming skills:
- Front crawl — 25 yards
- Back crawl — 25 yards
- Breaststroke — 25 yards
- Elementary backstroke — 25 yards
- Sidestroke — 25 yards
- Butterfly — 15 yards
- Maintain position on back for 1 minute in deep water (floating or sculling)
- Tread water for 1 minute
Upcoming Courses:
- Summer 2025
*6 hours of online pre-course work required before in-person class dates. All class dates must be attended.
Class Price and Registration
Swim Instructor certification is FREE for well-qualified applicants who commit to working at Old Town Hot Springs. For those not working at Old Town Hot Springs class is $375.
For more information, please reach out to Aquatics Director, Rob Gram.
Interested in working as a Swim Lessons Instructor?