Aquatics Training

Whether your goal is to become a lifeguard for a local pool or to promote a water safe environment in your own backyard, Red Cross courses will give you the knowledge, skills and confidence you need.   To register for aquatics classes, please see our list of facilities at the bottom of this page.

PROGRAMS

Learn to Swim

The new American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim classes provide instruction to help swimmers of all ages and abilities develop their swimming and water safety skills. It is designed to give students a positive learning experience.

The six levels of Learn-to-Swim teach aquatic and safety skills in a logical progression. The objective is to teach people to swim and to be safe in, on and around the water.

Lifeguard Training

Are you 15 or older and looking for a great summer job or a challenging career? American Red Cross Lifeguarding is the best place to start! Lifeguarding puts you in an exciting position, working as part of a team to help people safely enjoy the water. You could save a life too!

American Red Cross Lifeguarding offers the highest quality training standards in skill instruction, professional lifeguard responsibilities, first aid and CPR/AED training. 

Parent and Child Aquatics

Developed for children 6 months to 5 years of age, American Red Cross Parent and Child Aquatics builds swimming readiness by emphasizing fun in the water.

Parents and children participate in several guided practice sessions that help children learn elementary skills, including water entry, bubble blowing, front kicking, back floating, underwater exploration and more.

Once children can perform basic skills without parental assistance, they may begin Learn-to-Swim courses.

Longfellow’s Whales Tales

Longfellow's WHALE Tales provides easy-to-follow information to help children learn safe behavior in, on and around the water. Taught in a classroom session, WHALE Tales makes water safety fun and easy to learn. Each lesson is reinforced with color posters, worksheets, activities and a video that features Longfellow, the animated whale.

Water Safety Instructor Training

Whether you want to splash around with kids and teach them to swim, help children and adults refine their strokes, or teach diving safety techniques, you can do it as a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor. Minimum age 16 years to enter the Water Safety Instructor course.

PROGRAM LOCATIONS

In this region, the Red Cross works with Authorized Providers of our aquatics programs to ensure that training options are available throughout the year. Authorized providers are trained and certified instructors of Red Cross courses. To view a current list of aquatic training available through Red Cross authorized providers in the area, please scroll below. Please note, each authorized provider chooses which aquatics programs to offer and sets their own schedule.

Announcing Swim Safe Lowcountry

Charleston County recreation departments and the American Red Cross have joined forces with the Charleston County School District to help lower drowning statistics in the Lowcountry. We invite you to visit www.SwimSafeLowcountry.com for current information on swimming lessons, lifeguarded pools, backyard water safety, surviving rip currents, sun safety, and more.