With 59 square miles of water in Virginia Beach, it’s very important to be safe in and around the water. Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation offers advanced water safety classes, in addition to the Learn to Swim program. Advanced water safety classes build upon basic swimming skills to help swimmers prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies near the water.
Participants age 10 to 14 in the Junior Lifeguard class learn elementary forms of water rescues and skills to assist lifeguard staff. This $30 class is offered at Great Neck and Kempsville Recreation Centers.
The American Red Cross Basic Water Rescue class, for ages 12 and up, prepares students how to recognize swimmers in distress and safe ways to assist others. This one day class is recommended for anyone who supervises children in or around the water, such as babysitters or day care providers. It is $25 and offered at Kempsville Recreation Center.
Those ages 15 and up looking for more training should consider American Red Cross Lifeguard Training classes. After successfully completing this class, students will be certified as pool lifeguards, and able to respond to emergencies in the pool, including medical emergencies. Classes are $150 and offered at Bayside, Kempsville, Princess Anne, Seatack and Williams Farm Recreation Centers.
The American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor class is perfect for ages 16 and up who wish to teach swimming lessons. Sessions are offered at Bayside and Great Neck Recreation Centers, and cost $175.
Each swimming class requires students to register in advance and possess a Virginia Beach recreation center membership. For more information about specific courses, please visit http://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/parks-recreation/swimming/Pages/lifeguard-instructor.aspx or contact an Aquatic Unit supervisor at a Virginia Beach Recreation Center:
Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation’s vision is a balanced, sustainable and value-focused system of parks, recreation and public spaces that creates a sense of community. We are accredited by CAPRA, the certifying agency of the National Recreation and Park Association. For more information, call (757) 385-1100 (TTY: 711 Virginia Relay), visit VBgov.com/parks or sign up for our email newsletters at VBgov.com/eNews.