Prepare for lifeguarding in one of America’s most diverse aquatic environments.

New York offers one of the most unique aquatic landscapes in the United States ranging from oceanfront beaches on Long Island, to the Great Lakes, the Hudson River, the Finger Lakes, Adirondack mountain lakes, indoor aquatic centers, world-class waterparks, and thousands of community swimming pools. With millions of residents and tourists participating in water activities each year, certified lifeguards are essential to maintaining safety across the state.

The American Lifeguard Association® (ALA) is proud to provide nationally recognized lifeguard training in New York, preparing candidates to work in city pools, private clubs, YMCA facilities, beaches, lakes, waterparks, and year-round indoor complexes. Whether you want a summer position at Jones Beach or a year-round job in New York City, we offer the training needed to protect lives.

Weather greatly affects aquatic safety in New York especially with seasonal temperature shifts, thunderstorms, cold-water risks, changing lake conditions, and coastal weather patterns.

Why Lifeguard Training Matters in New York

New York ranks among the most visited states in the U.S., with millions of people participating in swimming, boating, sailing, surfing, paddling, and water sports every year. With major cities, tourist destinations, and natural water bodies, properly trained lifeguards are a necessity across the state.

New York aquatic facilities including public pools, waterfronts, swim schools, waterparks, and resort environments depend on nationally recognized certifications to ensure lifeguards meet consistent safety standards. The American Lifeguard Association is one of the most dependable training programs nationwide.

ALA has earned long-standing recognition and alignment with:

• CDC Healthy Swimming Program
• U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) national standards
• U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) training guidance
• Federal OSHA safety requirements
• CDC Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) employer evaluation requirements

For more than 30 years, ALA has served as a trusted lifeguard-training provider for aquatic facilities across the country.

What Is a Lifeguard?

A lifeguard is a trained safety professional who maintains surveillance of swimmers, prevents unsafe behavior, identifies hazards, and responds to emergencies with CPR, first aid, and rescue techniques. New York lifeguards must be particularly attentive due to:

• Highly variable water temperatures
• Crowded beaches during summer
• Changing ocean and lake conditions
• Deep indoor diving pools
• Recreational rivers and waterfronts
• High tourism volume in coastal and city areas

ALA prepares candidates for every type of aquatic environment found in New York.

Lifeguarding as a Career Opportunity in New York

Lifeguarding in New York is not only a summer job it can be a year-round career. Many facilities operate 12 months a year, especially in New York City and major urban regions.

Career pathways include:

• Municipal aquatic staff positions
• Parks and recreation programs
• Waterpark operations
• Health club and fitness industry roles
• Swim coaching and aquatic instruction
• Resort and hospitality positions
• Emergency medical services (EMT/paramedic)
• Public safety and recreation management

New York’s aquatic employers value nationally recognized certifications and hands-on rescue training.

New York Offers Lifeguard Opportunities In:

Below are major categories of lifeguard employment in New York, with real named locations for strong SEO impact.

 Beaches — Long Island, Staten Island & Lake Ontario/Erie

New York has a wide range of guarded beaches, from Atlantic surf beaches to freshwater beaches on the Great Lakes.

Long Island & Atlantic Coast Beaches

• Jones Beach State Park
• Robert Moses State Park
• Long Beach (City of Long Beach)
• Hempstead Town Beaches (Lido Beach, Point Lookout)
• Gilgo Beach & Tobay Beach
• Far Rockaway / Rockaway Beach (Queens)

These beaches face Atlantic swells, rip currents, tides, thunderstorms, and heavy summer crowds.

Staten Island Beaches

• South Beach
• Midland Beach
• Cedar Grove Beach

These beaches offer calmer surf but face strong tidal activity and large visitor numbers.

Great Lakes Beaches (Freshwater)

• Hamlin Beach State Park (Lake Ontario)
• Ontario Beach Park (Rochester)
• Durand Eastman Beach
• Fair Haven Beach State Park
• Lake Erie beaches in Buffalo area (Woodlawn Beach State Park)

Freshwater lifeguards must account for sudden depth changes, wind-driven currents, and variable weather.

 Indoor & Outdoor Swimming Pools

New York has thousands of indoor and outdoor pools, including year-round facilities with large staff needs.

Major pool employers include:

New York City

• NYC Parks Indoor & Outdoor Pools
• YMCA of Greater New York
• Asphalt Green (Manhattan & Battery Park)
• Chelsea Piers Sports Complex
• Riverbank State Park Pool

Long Island

• Town of Hempstead Aquatic Centers
• Town of Oyster Bay Pools
• Nassau & Suffolk County public pool systems

Upstate & Western New York

• Buffalo city pools
• Rochester Recreation Centers
• Syracuse city pools
• Albany/Jackson aquatic facilities
• University pools (Cornell, RIT, UB, Syracuse University, Fordham, NYU, Columbia)

Because winters are cold, indoor aquatic centers play a major role in statewide lifeguard employment.

 Waterparks — Major Attractions Across the State

New York’s waterparks provide seasonal and year-round positions that require strong teamwork and rapid response.

Downstate & Capital Region

• SplashDown Beach Waterpark (Fishkill)
• Zoom Flume Water Park (East Durham)
• Kartrite Indoor Waterpark (Monticello)
• Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark (Queensbury)

Western & Central New York

• Seabreeze Water Park (Rochester)
• Enchanted Forest Water Safari (Old Forge)
• Thunder Island Waterpark (Fulton)

Indoor Resort Waterparks

• Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Waterpark (Poconos—NY visitors commonly fill jobs)
• Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark (Catskills)

Waterparks require training in slide dispatch, wave pool safety, current channels, and coordinated rescue response.

 Lakes, Rivers & State Parks

New York lifeguards are also needed throughout natural freshwater locations.

Finger Lakes Region

• Cayuga Lake
• Seneca Lake
• Keuka Lake
• Canandaigua Lake

Adirondack Region

• Lake George (Million Dollar Beach)
• Mirror Lake (Lake Placid)
• Lake Champlain recreation areas

Rivers & Waterways

• Hudson River waterfront districts
  (Designated swim areas in the Hudson Valley)
• Delaware River recreation sites
• Mohawk River parks

State Parks with Swimming Areas

• Green Lakes State Park
• Buttermilk Falls State Park
• Robert H. Treman State Park
• Stony Brook State Park
• Allegany State Park

These facilities often hire seasonal guards and require strong freshwater awareness.

Prerequisites for Lifeguard Training in New York

ALA’s blended lifeguard training program is open to participants of any age, but:

• New York employers require lifeguards to be at least 15 years old
• Some state park and municipal roles may require age 16+
• Ocean and Great Lakes surf positions often require additional physical testing

To pass the ALA course, candidates must complete:

 300-Yard Continuous Swim

• 100 yards front crawl
• 100 yards breaststroke
• 100 yards freestyle or breaststroke

 Timed Object Retrieval

• Swim 20 yards
• Surface dive to 7–10 feet
• Retrieve a 10-pound object
• Swim 20 yards back carrying the object
• Exit without ladder
• Completed in 1 minute 40 seconds

Successful graduates receive:

• Lifeguarding certification
• CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer
• First Aid certification

All valid for two years.

What You Will Learn Lifeguarding Skills

ALA’s nationally recognized training prepares candidates to respond effectively to emergencies in any aquatic setting.

 Rescue Skills

• Slide-in entry
• Stride and compact jumps
• Approach strokes
• Simple assists
• Extension assists
• Throwing assists
• Active drowning victim rescues
• Passive drowning victim rescues
• Multiple-victim rescues
• Submerged victim recovery
• Deep-water rescues
• Head-hold escapes

 Spinal Injury Management

• Manual inline stabilization (water & land)
• Head splint technique
• Head/chin support
• Backboarding in shallow and deep water
• Recovery of submerged spinal victims

 CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer

• Scene and primary assessment
• One-rescuer CPR (adult/child/infant)
• Two-rescuer CPR
• Bag-valve-mask use
• Conscious and unconscious choking
• AED operation

 First Aid Training

• Secondary assessments
• External bleeding control
• Splinting techniques
• Sling and binder applications

 Final Skill Scenarios

• Active drowning scenario
• Submerged passive drowning scenario
• Spinal injury rescue scenario

New York Counties Covered

ALA provides lifeguard certification in all New York counties, including:

Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings (Brooklyn), Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Nassau, New York (Manhattan), Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond (Staten Island), Rockland, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming, Yates.

Our Commitment to Safety

New York offers one of the most diverse and exciting lifeguard environments in the United States—from iconic Long Island beaches to the Great Lakes, from the Adirondacks to community pools in New York City, and from massive indoor waterparks to scenic state parks. Whether you are looking for a part-time job, a seasonal position, or a long-term career, lifeguarding in New York gives you the opportunity to protect lives and build skills that last a lifetime.

The American Lifeguard Association offers a nationally recognized, federally aligned, and employer-supported certification trusted by aquatic facilities throughout the state for more than 30 years.