Freya Craig is a student at Westland High School and a part-time lifeguard at the Hokitika Swimming pool. She took some time in her busy schedule to share what it is like to work as a lifeguard at her local pool.
I became a lifeguard at the Hokitika Swimming Pool because I had friends who worked here who really enjoyed it. When the pool was looking for more staff, I thought it would be an awesome opportunity and experience for me to get a job as a lifeguard.
The main qualification I need for my role is a Pool Lifeguard Practicing Certificate (PLPC) and a first aid certificate. It is the minimum qualification you can have. PLPC will give you everything you need to get started, and it's a great first step towards becoming a highly skilled lifeguard. We need to re-sit the PLPC and the first aid certificate every two years to continue to work as a lifeguard.
During a typical day at work, I come in after school at 3:15 pm and pick up any tasks that are left by the lifeguard on the shift before mine. As a lifeguard, I am responsible for keeping a good eye on customers who are using the pool and spa, and the younger kids who are there for swimming lessons or just a good time. There is usually Aqua Zumba or swimming club where I stay later to make sure they feel safe and always have someone looking after them. To close for the evening, I clean all the bathrooms, prepare the reception for the morning, put the covers on the pool and test that the water is the right level of pH and Chlorine. When I work on the weekends, I usually do the opening shift which includes taking the covers off the pool, testing the water, opening the reception and checking that the bathrooms are up to standard for our customers that day. During the day we test the pool water every three hours and the spa water every two hours. If the chemical levels are too high or too low, we calibrate them. We take the health and safety of our customers very seriously!
My favourite part of being a lifeguard is getting to meet new people and make friendships with people old and young. Seeing our regular customers come in is wonderful as they are always keen for a good chat and a catch up.
In a job like this, there are always a few issues like kids who don’t listen or understand the pool rules, which are always a bit of a struggle. Many people believe that being a lifeguard is an easy job and a babysitting service. That’s definitely not the case! To be effective, lifeguards need to learn the necessary skills, and they must be constantly alert for swimmers who need help while managing their other tasks. It's a challenging but rewarding job. We are also not a babysitting service as we must keep a close eye on everyone in and around the swimming pool, not just the small children.
If anyone is thinking of training to be a lifeguard, do it! It’s such a cool job and there are so many different things you can do with it, such as surf lifesaving, going to work in camps around the world/country and becoming a senior lifeguard. It’s a bit of hard work to get there but it’s worth it in the end and you get to work with some pretty awesome people.