What We Do

Weymouth Canoe Lifeguards Provide safety cover for waterborne events within the Weymouth area.

In the past Weymouth Canoe Lifeguards have covered Triathlons, Sea Swims, Trawler Race, Waterfest, Gig Racing, The carnival and many others. Weymouth Canoe lifeguards mainly use Specialist Shark Rescue Kayaks to provide safety cover. We also own surf rescue paddle boards and other rescue equipment.

Lifeguard Training

Being a Canoe Lifeguard Unit, our training is very much structured around the BCU awards, although we are also affiliated to both the RLSS and SLSA. In previous years we work very much towards RLSS qualifications as opposed to SLSA, however, since the introduction of the RNLI Beach Lifeguards on many Dorset and Conish beaches the emphasis has shifted and many lifeguards feel it is imperative to focus more heavily on the NARS Beach Lifeguard award.

Our training is divided into summer & winter, with the emphasis in winter being on fitness and updates to technical issues.

Within Weymouth we encourage plenty of ongoing training. The summer months are easily catered for, with trainess and lifeguards alike taking part in operational duty. The longer dark winter months sees the theatrical skills, of unit thespians as they feign catastrophic injuries, with oodles of blood pouring from lovingly prepared plasticine moulds.

These first aid incident scenarios prove valuable and enjoyable.

info@weymouthlifeguards.co.uk

Lifeguard Awards / Lifesaving Awards

One factor that has to be keep in mind with any training programme, is the cost implication to the unit members. Unfortunately as yet the RLSS, SLSA and BCU have not been able to combine their awards or accept other awards as pre-requisites to their own structures. The outcome of this is that a unit member will hold RLSS Life-support & BCU Aquatic FA, just to enable them to progress down training routes.

The only saving grace, is that within Weymouth we have unit members who are qualified to coach and assess under RLSS & BCU bodies. This enables us to provide training courses, with the only payments being to the respective society.The unit membership is divided into Trainees & Lifeguards. Trainees are those members of the unit that have not attained a lifeguard award, however they may well have qualified in various pre-requesite awards.

Lifeguard status is awarded to any member who ultimately achieves one of the following:

However if a lifeguard is to lead a water patrol then the BCU Assistant Lifeguard qualification is required.

The standard awards that we train for are:

RLSS:
Life-support 1, 2 and 3
Bronze Medallion

BCU:

Other qualifications to aid unit duties are:

RLSS:
Award of Merit
National Pool Lifeguard (NPLQ)

BCU:

RYA:

If you are after general information concerning any aspect of the unit please write to: info@weymouthlifeguards.co.uk