How to become a Lifeguard
You can start as a Lifeguard with no yacht experience. You need the right tickets, a CV that shows work that transfers, and to be where the yachts hire. This page sets out each step.
Where you startAnd where it leads. A typical path, not a rule.
Lifeguard
Year 0. Pay from about US$3,500 a month. A yacht lifeguard watches guests and children in the pool, at the swim platform and in open water, and provides rescue cover during watersports.
Deckhand / Watersports Instructor
Year 1-2. Pay from about US$3,500 a month. A deckhand who also teaches and supervises guests on water toys, from jet skis and eFoils to wakeboarding and kitesurfing, on charter and private yachts.
Lead Deckhand / Senior Deckhand
Year 3-4. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. The senior deckhand who runs daily deck jobs, trains newer crew and covers for the bosun on superyachts of roughly 50m and above.
Bosun / Boatswain
Year 5-6. Pay from about US$4,000 a month. The bosun runs the deck crew day to day, leading deckhands on maintenance, tenders, watersports and mooring, and reports to the chief officer.
Before you applyWhat a Lifeguard needs, from the Lifeguard guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 or equivalent seafarer medical
- Current lifeguard award (RLSS NPLQ/NBLQ, SLSA Bronze Medallion or Red Cross)
- First aid and CPR with AED
Gets you hired
- PWC/Jet Ski licence (RYA or IYT)
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- PADI Rescue Diver or higher
- STCW Proficiency in Medical First Aid
- Paediatric first aid
Visas
- Schengen visa if non-EU
- US B1/B2 for US and Caribbean seasons
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Lifeguard for open-water rescue, constant guest supervision and jet ski rescue cover. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. A background in luxury resorts is the closest match, for example work as a guest services team member.
Write each job on your CV as what you did, with numbers: how many guests, how many boats, how many covers. Then list every skill below that you can prove.
- Open-water rescue
- Constant guest supervision
- Jet ski rescue cover
- First aid and CPR
- Water toy safety checks
- Working with children
- Calm under pressure
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Lifeguard must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 seafarer medical, Current lifeguard award (RLSS NPLQ/NBLQ, SLSA Bronze Medallion or Red Cross) and First aid and CPR with AED before a yacht can put you to work as a Lifeguard.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Lifeguard CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then the work that transfers: luxury resorts.
See a Lifeguard CV example →Create your crew profile
Upload that CV and we build your profile from it. Your name and contact details stay hidden. Captains and recruiters contact you. It is free.
Create your crew profile →Apply and look for daywork
Apply to open jobs and to crew agencies, and take daywork: a few paid days on a yacht is how most first-time crew get a reference.
Lifeguard guide →Step up to Deckhand / Watersports Instructor
The usual path puts Deckhand / Watersports Instructor at year 1 to 2. Pay starts from about US$3,500 a month.
How to become a Deckhand / Watersports Instructor →
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Lifeguard with no experience?
Yes. Lifeguard is a first job on yachts. You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 seafarer medical, Current lifeguard award (RLSS NPLQ/NBLQ, SLSA Bronze Medallion or Red Cross) and First aid and CPR with AED, and work that transfers, such as luxury resorts, puts you ahead of other new crew.
How long does it take to become a Lifeguard?
It is a starting role, so the time is what it takes to get the tickets and find the first job. From there, the usual path puts Deckhand / Watersports Instructor at year 1 to 2.
What does a Lifeguard earn at the start?
From about US$3,500 a month, by our Lifeguard guide. Charter tips of 5-15% shared among crew can add a lot in a busy season. Short owner-trip contracts often pay a day rate of USD 200-350 with flights and food covered.
Let the yachts come to you
Upload your CV and we build your crew profile from it. Captains and recruiters contact you. Free for crew.