Lifeguards

All around the world on any popular coastline you will find Lifeguards. In Australia there has long been a beach culture and so the government has for some time now employed people to patrol beaches, lakes and other swimming areas. As the weather does tend to be good year round, these positions also are full time and permanent. They also have the Surf Life Savers which is a voluntary organisation that helps patrol areas during the busier months.

In Europe there are also several coastal areas that are patrolled by lifeguards, even Belgium which has a limited coastal area of 68Km’s! In Germany there are the organisations of DLRG which is the largest agency in the world and also the Wasserwacht which is part of the Red Cross group. Italy is covered by the Italian Swimming Federation and the National Life Saving Society.

In some european countries such as Portugal and Spain coastal areas are so long that they sometimes have to be patrolled by lifeguards on quad bikes. and as you can imagine when travelling around these types of countries transport of some kind is essential. Check out some of these sites which will help you with information and travel around these countries;

travelcreek - The perfect site for finding information and all things realated to your visit to Spain.

Car Hire Madrid Airport - Landing at madrid airport? Well if you are and your interested in hiring a car then you should check out this website.

mapsofworld - An interesting site providing information, hints and tips to most countries throughout Europe.

In The United Kingdom there are distinctions between beach and pool lifeguards. The Royal Life Saving Society UK and the Swimming Teachers Association train individuals for their National Pool Lifeguard Qualification. They also teach the National Aquatic Rescue Standard though this qualification is becoming less popular with employers. The course lasts a minimum of 38 hours and is valid for two years once qualified, if they wish to continue as a lifeguard they must complete a further 20 hours of training to be eligible for renewal. The Royal Lifesaving Society UK also has an individual qualification for beach work known as the National Beach Lifeguard Qualification (NBLQ) and involves training in several modules such as rescue boat training and VHF radio operation.