You must attend the entire series to be certified.

To be trained as a BSA Lifeguard, you must successfully complete the course as outlined in the BSA Lifeguard Instructor Manual and demonstrate the ability to perform each item specified in the following requirements:

Prerequisites

Before doing requirements 6 through 26, complete the following:

Submit proof of age. You must be at least 15 years old to participate.
Submit written evidence of fitness for swimming activities (signed health history).
Swim continuously for 550 yards, including at least 100 yards each of the following strokes in good form: front crawl, breaststroke, elementary backstroke, and sidestroke.
Immediately following the above swim, tread water for two minutes using the legs only and with the hands under the armpits.
Starting in the water, swim 20 yards using a front crawl or breaststroke, surface dive 7 to 10 feet, retrieve a 10-pound object, surface, swim with the object 20 yards back to the starting point with both hands holding the object, and exit the water, all within 1 minute, 40 seconds.

Requirements

Complete the following requirements within a 120-day period:

Show evidence of current training in American Red Cross First Aid and American Red Cross CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer or equivalent (includes any training for a camp health officer recognized by BSA national camp standards).
Demonstrate reaching assists from the deck using an arm, a rescue tube, and a pole.
Demonstrate throwing assists using a throw bag and a ring buoy with a line attached. Throw each device such that the line lands within reach of a conscious subject 30 feet from shore.
Demonstrate:

Rescue of a conscious subject in deep water using a rescue board, kayak, rowboat, canoe, or other rescue craft that would be available at your local facility.
Repeat for an unconscious subject.

Demonstrate an entry and front approach with a rescue tube to a conscious subject in deep water 30 feet away from shore. Position the rescue tube to support the subject and then assist the subject to safety, providing direction and reassurance throughout.
Demonstrate an entry and rear approach with a rescue tube to a conscious subject in deep water 30 feet away from shore. Secure and support the subject from behind and then move the subject to safety, providing direction and reassurance throughout.
Demonstrate use of a rescue tube to assist two subjects grasping each other. Secure, support, and reassure both subjects. With the assistance of a second guard, calm and separate the subjects and move them to safety.
Demonstrate both front and rear head-hold escapes from a subject's grasp.
Demonstrate a feet-first entry in deep water with a rescue tube and swim an approach stroke 25 yards within 25 seconds while trailing the tube.
Demonstrate an entry and front approach with a rescue tube to a face-down passive subject 30 feet away at or near the surface in deep water. Use a wrist roll to position the subject face-up on the rescue tube, tow them to safety, and remove them from the water with assistance within two minutes. Immediately perform a primary assessment and demonstrate one-person CPR for three minutes.
Demonstrate an entry and rear approach with a rescue tube to a face-down unconscious subject 30 feet away at or near the surface in deep water. Position the subject face-up, tow them to safety, and remove them from the water with assistance within two minutes. Immediately perform a primary assessment and demonstrate two-person CPR for three minutes.
Demonstrate in-water ventilation of an unconscious subject when prompt removal from the water is not possible. Open the airway, position the mask, and simulate ventilations.
Demonstrate an entry and approach with a rescue tube for use when an unconscious subject is submerged face-down at or near the bottom in 6 to 8 feet of water. Bring the subject to the surface and tow to the nearest point of safety.
Remove a subject from the water using each of the following techniques in the appropriate circumstances with the aid of a second rescuer:

Vertical lift at the edge of a pool or pier using a backboard
Walking assist
Beach drag

Participate in multiple-rescuer search techniques appropriate for a missing subject in murky water:

Line search in shallow water
Underwater line search in deep water without equipment
Underwater line search in deep water with mask and fins

Demonstrate in-line stabilization for a face-down subject with suspected spinal injury in very shallow water (18 inches or less).
Demonstrate in-line stabilization for a suspected spinal injury in shallow water (waist to chest deep):

For a face-up subject
For a face-down subject

Demonstrate in-line stabilization for a suspected spinal injury in deep water, swim the subject to shallow water, confirm vital signs, and with the assistance of three others, remove the subject from the water using a backboard with straps and a head immobilization device.
Demonstrate care for a spinal injury on land in the following situations:

Non-standing subject
Standing subject including securing to a backboard and lowering to the ground

Correctly answer 80 percent of the questions on the BSA Lifeguard knowledge test covering the course material. Review any incomplete or incorrect answers.
Serve as a lifeguard, under supervision, for at least two separate BSA swimming activities for a combined time of two hours. Afterward, discuss the experience with the lifeguarding instructor.