#Britainsbestsummerjob

This week I underwent my ‘Cas Care’ refresher course to make sure I was competent in first aid from anywhere to a cut finger to full scale CPR and defibrillator use. The trainer taking us was Leigh Anderson a former RNLI lifeguard at Polzeath who has also had experience as a member of the Ambulance service as a paramedic.

I took advantage of the experience and asked her a few questions about the course and qualification.

Q: Who takes the casualty care course? A: Lifeguards, lifeboats, flood rescue 

Q: Why do we need casualty care? A: Large majority of the job is to deal with the public. 70% of dealing with the public is casualty care, which is medically related rather than water-based. We need the training to be able to carry out our jobs effectively and make the beaches safer for public use.

Q: What level are lifeguards trained to? A: The course is RNLI designed, that has approval from 50 ambulance services nationwide. We have ambulance technician drugs that are used however the only difference is is the medical background and theoretical learning about human biology. BUT WE STILL KNOW HOW AND WHEN TO USE EM! 

Q: How is casualty care useful outside of the job? A: Interacting with the public, social skills, University life and potential issues that may arise, Jobs skills, Inspirations for medical career path. As well as the treatment we have the wider implications of multi-service interactions. Coastguard, ambo, police. This gives lifeguards the necessary skills for general self development of how to act in stressful situations.

I’ve already done a piece on the various skills and traits that make a good lifeguard, but to be a member of the RNLI Lifeguard team you must be able to demonstrate 4 key values. These values are what we as lifeguards must implement into the workplace to run successful day to day operations and also be able to perform when things get tough!

Selfless -To be selfless is to be concerned with the needs of others. On the beach we as a lifeguards must take preventative measures to ensure the safety of the public in dangerous conditions. Aside from the obvious, a good lifeguard cares about his teammates and their safety also. A selfless action is anything from understanding the need for putting out the flags in the morning, to risking potential danger in saving a person’s life.

Dependable -Closely related is the term dependable. This is how much the people around you and your team depend on you to carry out your job effectively and with proper conduct. It may look like a laugh being on the beach all day with your mates, but when incidents occur you have to be able to cover your team’s back and equally know they have yours! 

Trustworthy - There’s a huge amount of responsibility as an RNLI Beach Lifeguard no matter what rank you are. You are trusted to react in an emergency with the appropriate care and thus trusted with the preventable safety measures of the beach. Again your team is very important, you must feel able to trust your seniors if you have any issues but a younger lifeguard may also need to trust you in the same fashion.

Courageous -I’ve saved the best for last. Being courageous is just as it sounds, seeing someone in trouble and rushing to their safety. As a senior lifeguard I feel it is very important to know that all my lifeguards can and will carry out a rescue in dangerous conditions within their limits. This is why we train when there are terrifying sea conditions facing our huts and also the reason we relish the chance to run to an emergency.

I hope you’ve got a good idea of what it’s like to be an RNLI Lifeguard and these blogs are both providing good procrastination reading but maybe tempting you to join up? We are still recruiting for peak season guards in Portsmouth so get applying and get involved.

Recently I caught up with fellow Portsmouth Lifeguard Naomi Groome and asked her a few questions relating to #Britainsbestsummerjob

1) Why did you want to be a Lifeguard? I love being outside and especially being near and in water, so lifeguarding has always been something I've wanted to do since a young age! I also used to watch shows such as seaside rescue and bondi rescue and thought the lifeguards were really cool!

2) What’s the best thing about being a Lifeguard? Best thing about being a lifeguard is obviously helping those in need! You also get to work on your fitness throughout the season going on swims and board paddles everyday, and also you get a really good tan!

3) What’s the hardest/most challenging thing about being a Lifeguard? The most challenging thing about being a lifeguard In my opinion is the casualty care side of the job! It can be scary dealing with major first aids but when in the situation the training soon kicks in!

4) How has Lifeguarding developed you as a person? 4) Lifeguarding has helped improve my confidence greatly! You can find yourself in peculiar situations with the public, but I have developed the confidence to deal with these situations! Also being a part of an important team I have developed the ability to work effectively in a team and also take the lead in certain situations. 

5) What are you most looking forward to about the 2015 season? For the 2015 season I am most looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends whilst also helping the public! I also look forward to developing my skills as a lifeguard and  obviously the socials throughout the season!

When you apply for a job with the RNLI as a beach lifeguard, you become part of the extensive RNLI team, which is made up of :

RNLI Lifeboats RNLI Flood Rescue RNLI Lifeguards

The key word here is TEAM. We are a collaborative company that share resources whilst working together on many rescue missions both during the season and outside the summer period.

Alongside these internal affairs, the RNLI works on an international scale to provide safety in low and middle income countries such as Tanzania and the Philippines. A prudently estimated 372,000 deaths occur due to drowning around the world each year and the RNLI are committed to reducing this number. 

Opportunities As you can see from the many types of work you can get involved in with the RNLI, the opportunities are endless. Joining the team as a lifeguard is merely a starting point for further self-development as a lifeboat crew member or even a specialist technician or engineer.

Aside from direct operational activities, the RNLI presents opportunities to be involved in educational events, such as school talks in the form of ‘Beach to City’ and projects alike. 

Facts In 2013:

21,938 people aided by lifeguards 8,384 people rescued by lifeboats 325 LIVES SAVED by lifeboat crew 100 LIVES SAVED by lifeguards

Don’t hesitate to apply NOW! contact:

Swimming is one of the most important aspects of being a beach lifeguard and it requires a lot of training to be good at it. In this article I’m going to outline some key things to think about to work on your technique and be a better, faster, more efficient swimmer. I will also provide a typical training routine to better your fitness and allow concentration on key features.

1- Efficiency: To be a more efficient swimmer, think about your body being on a straight axis on top of the water the whole time. When your hand enter the water they enter in a straight line just inside your shoulders and when you pull back under the water they come back through that same line to exit near your hips. Your legs as well must be kicking from the hips with a slight flex at the knees all travelling through the same straight line. If you keep your head facing forwards at a 45degree angle this should help your body positioning.

2-Endurance: All lifeguards need endurance and the only way to build on this is to keep on swimming! When you go to the pool don’t just swim up and down for an hour do sets like you would in the gym, with higher efforts and short rest intervals. This helps build your fitness and mimics the effort required during a rescue.

3-Variety: Swimming can be dull at the best of times, so it helps to change things up frequently. There are four strokes in swimming, so do a bit of everything. Breaststroke is good for building shoulder and chest strength in swimming, needed for choppy conditions, whilst the leg kick helps you stay afloat during rescues. Backstroke is a good stroke to take rest, but also balance the muscles in your back if you spend most of your time on your front. Butterfly, the most challenging of the strokes is good for both strength and board paddling, whilst also giving the greatest cardiovascular rewards. If you get the chance get out in the open water and practice your sighting and swimming in waves. Obviously care must taken to swim within the lifeguarded area and with a partner wearing brightly coloured clothes. Always let someone know your going out in the water.

Typical set

Warm-up- 400m front crawl, 200m backstroke, 200m breaststroke

Main set 1- 10x100m with 15second rest working at 70%

Main set 2- 8x25 underwater as far as you can with 30 seconds rest

Cool-down- 200m backstroke as easy as you like

So many of you may be wondering “what does being a lifeguard entail,” and “am I the right person for the job?” The short answer is YOUR DAMN RIGHT YOU ARE! In the lifeguard world there are aspects of the job that everyone excels at, and aspects that everyone needs to improve on, and that’s all part of being a member of your beach’s team.

 I’ve put together the qualities which I reckon make the best lifeguards so have a read and if you think you’re the right person for the job don’t hesitate to get applying via the contact details at the end of this blog.

 1.     Fitness

·      Being a lifeguard is a very physical job and with it is the requirement for above average fitness to respond to incidents and endure the long days full of rescues and training. There are fitness tests to prove yourself before and throughout the season comprising of: 400m swim under 7:30, 25m underwater followed by 25m swim in under 50 seconds and a 200m run in under 40 seconds.

 2.     Team player

·      On the beach you will be working with a team of anywhere from 2 to maybe even 5 people, but outside of that will be your area team with your seniors lifeguards and supervisors. Teams are the most efficient ways of getting the job done and in a hostile environment where time is of the essence, being able to work effectively in a team is key to being a great lifeguard.

 3.     Organisation

·      8 hour days and working up to 6 days a week can take it’s toll on us as young workers, thus organisational skills are key to make sure you are anything from on top on training to stay fit to being on time in the morning.

 4.     People skills

·      We are working in a public environment so having great people skills to promote the RNLI everyday is integral to your job success. People skills range from being able to talk to everyone, to advising ‘beach-goers’ on the potential dangers of the sea and the environment around then.

 5.     Decision-Making

·      When problems arise such as rescues and first aid’s you as an RNLI lifeguard need to be able to assess the risk of certain situations which affect your safety, your team’s safety and the public around you. Good decision-making is a skill that saves lives and is vital to being a good lifeguard.

 I hope you guys enjoyed the blog on what it takes to be a good lifeguard and the first blog giving you tips of the trade. I’m reminding you all that applications for lifeguarding are now live and we are making recruiting efforts in the South East from Portsmouth to Kent so GET INVOLVED.

 For more information email,

 [email protected] or

james [email protected] 

Hi Guys!

So my name is Tim Walton and I am one of the Current Senior Lifeguards over the Portsmouth and Littlehampton area of the UK. I am studying at the University of Southampton and am about to finish my final year. I’ve been lifeguarding for 3 years come 2015 and am making an effort alongside the rest of the RNLI South East Lifeguard team to push the publicity of our organisation over social media.

The RNLI is a charity and thus makes it’s money primarily from donations, with lifeguards being at the heart of the organisations next to the Flood Rescue and Lifeboat teams.

I will be posting all the activities I am getting up to with the RNLI in the lead up to the 2015 season and also sharing tips on how to prepare yourself in being a good lifeguard.

We are currently recruiting in the South East area which includes Thanet beaches all the way down to Portsmouth. If you are interested in joining, for more info, email:

[email protected] or james [email protected]

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