One thing is regularly asked of us when people are going through lifeguard training: What do I wear, and when can I get my suit?  Many years ago a standard developed amongst guards around the world, and now, almost anywhere you go, you can tell who is watching over you while at the pool.  How do you know? (And no, not just because they are the good looking teenager or young adult standing on the pier or looking out over the water.  They’ll be in the red lifeguard swimsuits.  Buying, and really earning, that first suit is a bit of an initiation process for new guards.  What are the characters of the suit?

• GUARD (or LIFEGUARD) written in big, uppercase script in the contrasting color (usually white)
• A red suit with white trim
• Sum suits now have blue trim or black trim, but the are usually red with white pipping on the edges

Suits can come in both bikini style and one piece for women.  Likewise, men, while almost always wearing red swimshorts, may need to wear a shirt or tanktop style shirt depending on the specific situation.

If you work for a YMCA or somewhere else where there are generally a lot of children at the pool, then you will likely need to dress a bit more conservatively.  The younger the crowd the more you can assume you will need to cover up.  You also will likely wear a visor or ball cap, again this should be lifeguard standard and colored red or white with contrasting trim.  If you do choose to wear a visor do not forget that your head, even with hair on it, can definitely still get sunburnt in the hot summer months.  If you are working indoors you obviously do not need to worry about this.  

Once you have completed training and received your lifeguard certification, then you can go ahead and invest the money to get the gear you will need.  A pair of high end polarized sunglasses is definitely recommended.  These should be sport style sunglasses with a strap so that they do not fall off of your head when running should an emergency occur.  These should not be the new ‘fashion style’ sunglasses, as function is more important than fashion in this particular use case.

There are lots of places to purchase lifeguard swimwear and other accessories, though some equipment will likely be provided by the pool where you work.  Once you are hired, make sure you know the specific requirements, as we said above, of your pool, so that your swimsuit is literally up to code.  Checkout some of the great lifeguard suits available from Amazon below, and click through to read specifics about each type.  Nike even recently came out with an elite line of lifeguard swimwear, and they showcase detailed functional specifications to make sure you are able to preform your best in the water.  Remember, you do not want to have to think about your gear, when you should be focused on those your need to protect.

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