About the Course

The purpose of the American Red Cross Lifeguarding course is to provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to:

• Prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies in both shallow water (less than 7 feet) and deeper water (7 feet or more).
• Provide professional-level care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries and sudden illnesses until emergency medical services (EMS) professionals take over.

To enroll in the Lifeguarding course, you must be at least 15 years old before the last scheduled class session.

Prerequisite Swim Test

To participate in the course, you must be able to pass a prerequisite swimming skills evaluation, which includes two parts and takes place during the first in-person session.

• Prerequisite 1: Jump in, submerge, resurface and swim 150 yards continuously, tread water for 2 minutes, and then swim 50 more yards. While swimming, you must keep your face in the water and demonstrate good breath control. You may swim using the front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both. Swimming on the back or side is not permitted. Swim goggles are allowed. When treading, you must use only your legs.
• Prerequisite 2: Complete a timed event within 1 minute, 40 seconds. Starting in the water, swim 20 yards. Your face may be in or out of the water. Swim goggles are not allowed. Surface dive (head-first or feet-first) to a depth of 7 to 10 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object. Return to the surface and swim 20 yards on your back to return to the starting point, holding the object at the surface with both hands and keeping your face at or near the surface. Swimming the distance underwater is not permitted. Exit the water without using a ladder or the steps.

Online and Offline Learning

This course follows a blended learning model, which combines online coursework with in-person sessions. After registration, you will receive an email with instructions for accessing the online course content. Please plan to complete all of the assigned online course modules at least 2 days prior to the start of the in-person session.

The online course content (16 modules) is designed to be completed in approximately 6 hours, with each module taking between 15 and 30 minutes to complete. You may require more or less time to complete each module. I recommend beginning the online coursework as soon as possible to ensure that you are able to complete all of the assigned online modules in advance of the in-person sessions.

Next Class

Date & Times

• Pre-requisite Swim Test: Saturday December March 28, 2026, 8:00am-9:00am
• Saturday, March 28, 2026, 9:00am – 7:00pm
• Sunday, March 29, 2026, 8:00am – 7:00pm

Location

James Family YMCA of Prescott
750 Whipple St, Prescott, AZ 86301

Register for the Class