Squads, awards and retests
Through the season, qualified King's Beach members keep the bathing area safe. Here's what a lifeguard does, which award you need, and how to keep it.
The lifeguard
A lifeguard is a highly trained, fit athlete who marks out a safe bathing area, rescues people in distress and gives first aid when it's needed. Lifeguards are on duty in all weather.
On duty you might patrol the beach on foot, crew a motorised patrol or rescue boat, or be part of a helicopter rescue. Lifeguards also help keep order on the beach and enforce the local by-laws.
Awards & retests
Lifeguarding at King's Beach starts at 14. These are the questions we're asked most about the awards, the exams and keeping your qualification.
072 014 0642 [number to confirm]
You must be 14 or older, and every member who does duty has to hold a lifeguard award. Lifesaving South Africa sets the exams and outcomes for beach and pool lifeguards.
Lifeguards keep training before, and often after, their duty periods, and some tests are repeated regularly to make sure they stay fit and capable.
Junior Lifeguard Award (JLA): for ages 14 to 17 [age band to confirm]. It lets you compete and do duty until you turn 17. From then you have six weeks to upgrade to the Lifeguard Award.
Lifeguard Award (LA): builds on the JLA and lets you compete and do duty from 18, right through to Masters.
Yes. It starts with an entrance test in the pool: 400 m in under 9 minutes for the JLA, or under 8 minutes for the LA.
Candidates then train to become fully qualified, covering rescue methods, resuscitation and basic first aid. Training is run by qualified members of the club.
A good knowledge of first aid, CPR and the problems you meet on a beach, at a dam or in a pool. Because the job is physical, you also need strong ability in the water: rescues with different kinds of equipment, as well as contact rescues.
Yes, every season. To keep your award you do a refresher course and a retest at the start of each season, before you may do duty or compete. Instructors set the dates, venues and times.
Squads & duties
Qualified members are placed in duty squads for the season. The duty schedule is published here at the start of each season, after the refresher and retest.
[Duty schedule for the 2026/27 season: to come from the club]
New to the club? The training information pack has the details.
Download training info (PDF)14 or older?
Tell us your age and how you swim, and we'll get you started on the right award. Our qualified members train every new lifeguard at the club.
