JUNIOR
LIFEGUARDS'
PROGRAM
- HAWAI`I

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Program Background
Program Purpose
Instructors
Classes
Admission Requirements
Instruction and Syllabus
Certification
Costs
For More Information

Program Background: Hawai`i is internationally renown for the extreme natural beauty of its magnificent beaches and surrounding ocean waters. Many have to come to realize that this magnificence is replete with dangers. But, few realize the gravity and extent to which these dangers exist, especially for our local children and youth.

Annually, Hawaii's beaches have attendance in the tens of millions. With more than half of Hawaii's resident population being less than eighteen years of age, one may easily surmise that a very high proportion of that beach attendance consists of youth. According to State of Hawai`i Department of Health injury surveillance data, drowning is the second largest cause of childhood unintentional injury in the State. Injury data associated with its ocean and beaches is even more glaring, Hawai`i ranks second in the United States for such accidental injury data.

Regrettably, there is no organized statewide program to instruct large numbers of children in safe ocean practices, including swimming. Other than recreational facilities like the "Y," there are few if any places in Hawai`i where one can acquire basic ocean and water safety skills. Ocean skills and swimming are acquired "naturally" - friends, parents, beach acquaintances "teach," the individual is often self-instructed.

There is no routine instruction of children in Hawaii's educational system on ocean water or beach hazards. In fact, the health education instructional curriculum for basic instruction in general personal safety, per se, is taught only when it is not in conflict with the base curriculum of the schools. There are few, if any, public courses on ocean water safety other than those provided on an incidental basis by groups like the American Red Cross. These courses are intended as basic courses and may or may not be modified by the instructor to include local, unique Hawaiian conditions.

Virtually, our children acquire their swimming and ocean safety skills, if any, in a haphazard, disorganized fashion. It is no wonder that our injury rates are so high.

Recognizing the safety and, actually, survival needs of youth, the Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division in close cooperation and coordination with the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association feels that it is imperative to establish an ongoing educational program for them. Other areas in the world have established fairly progressive junior lifeguard programs with great success. Participants in these programs seem to be those children and adolescents who are naturally inclined to recreating in an ocean and beach setting. Other than personally benefitting in such a program, if properly groomed as leaders, these youth can serve as role models and often as leaders among their peer group.

Program Purpose: The Junior Lifeguard Program has as its primary purpose:

To increase the self-confidence, physical conditioning, and ocean awareness of program participants through their introduction to ocean and beach safety, first aid, and surf rescue techniques.

Instructors: The course is instructed by veteran beach lifeguards. Guest lecturers include ocean aquatic experts and often world class champions in sports such as surfing, body boarding, body surfing, et al. All course instructors are required to possess, at a minimum, current certifications in the State of Hawaii's "First Responder" emergency medical services course; Basic Cardiac Life Support; Standard First Aid; and United States Lifesaving Association Open Water Lifesaving Instructors' Certification Course.

During the Summer, key program coordination is performed by Ocean Safety Captain Kendall Rust and Lieutenant Mark Cunningham. Both are senior lifeguards who have been instrumental in establishing and conducting prototypes of the Junior Lifeguard Program in Hawai`i. Captain Rust is a national champion in rescue racing and an all-around competitive ocean waterman. He is currently the Captain of the Training Division of the Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division of the Emergency Services Department in Honolulu. Lieutenant Cunningham is a veteran North Shore lifeguard and, most notably, a world class body surfing champion.

Classes: At least thirty-two classes can be provided throughout O`ahu when full funding is available. Currently, there are four lifeguard districts on O`ahu: Waikiki-Ala Moana, the North Shore, Leeward Oahu, and Windward Oahu. Each of these districts would have one module of eight junior lifeguard classes. Each class is five days in duration and can accommodate at least twelve students per class. Class size has averaged, however, at about fifteen students.

Admission Requirements:

1. Participants must be between thirteen and seventeen years of age.
2. Applicants must possess a basic swimming ability with the capability of swimming 500 yards in less than ten minutes.
3. Prospects should have passed a general physical examination within six months prior to application to the course.
4. Applicants must be able to dead lift fifty pounds.

Instruction and Syllabus: Instructional methodologies employed include didactic classroom instruction and lectures, and skills training and enhancement. A typical course day consists of instruction in the following:

• Physical training is be provided including warm up, stretching, running on the beach and swimming;
• Ocean Skills Training - Daily instruction alternates between paddling rescue boards, using surf boards, body boards and rescue apparati, rescue tube, personal (or "wave runner") rescue watercraft , performing water entries and exits, skin diving, surf swimming, body surfing and skills topics including surf awareness and safety;
• Classroom Skills Training - Personal care topics are taught such as skin cancer awareness, eye safety and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through an appropriate diet, physical conditioning, etc. Lifesaving techniques and procedures are introduced through victim detection and first aid instruction. Beach condition assessment, ocean current and surf condition detection, safety awareness and marine life identification are also included in this instructional component; and,
• Competitive Training - Competitive lifeguard techniques, strategies, skills and sportsmanship are introduced through physical training with a competitive emphasis.

Certification: Students receive a certificate of course completion.

Costs: In 1996, as an example, the de novo cost of the program - to run thirty-two classes - was estimated to be $93,000 US. It should be noted that it was anticipated that certain of the costs would be offset by donations and kokua (i.e., in-kind) contributions.

For More Information, Please Contact:

HERE ARE SOME
BASIC OCEAN SAFETY TIPS:

• Swim in Lifeguarded Areas
• Never Swim Alone
• Don't Dive Into Unknown Water or Into Shallow Breaking Waves
• Ask a Lifeguard About Beach and Surf Conditions Before Swimming
• If You Are Unable to Swim Out of a Strong Current, Signal for Help
• Rely on Your Swimming Ability Rather Than a Flotation Device
• Look For, Read and Obey All Beach Safety Signs and Symbols
• If In Doubt, Just Stay Out!

And, just when you thought it was safe to read on . . .

Click here for telephone numbers you can call to report a sighting of large aggressive sharks (more than eight feet long) in Hawai'i.

See several shark species safely, live, at Honolulu's Waikiki Aquarium !

The aquarium is also just a great place to visit to see and learn about Hawai`i and the Pacific Basin's ocean environment, indigenous marine organisms, reefs and coral, seals, and efforts to save and protect them.

Return to the Hale (Home) Aloha Page. You can also use the following links to continue your beach and ocean tour of Oahu's North Shore, South Shore, East Shore, or West Shore.

Or, you can go to the Beach Directory for a listing of all the beaches covered in these pages.

Search this site or the Web with Google:

Search aloha.com Web Search

Suggestions, comments and recommendations are welcomed. These pages are a project of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, a not for profit, professional association of Hawaii's lifeguards devoted to the advancement of lifesaving services and public education on beach and ocean safety.

Web Developer: This page is maintained by J. B. Lee. You can reach me by email by clicking here.
Last modified: 24-Apr-2008 01:17 AM

Aloha . . . e malama i ke kai!