How to become a lifeguard?

First provider of lifeguard course on the beaches of the coast, the SNSM trains an average of 500 new lifeguard swimmers each year and monitors a third of the beaches of the coast. Aged between 18 and 25 on average, made up of ⅔ of men and ⅓ of women, they are recruited among students and young employees.

Leading provider of lifeguard swimmers

Volunteers for the SNSM during the year, they ensure the supervision of swimming during the summer period. This monitoring is carried out at the request and under the responsibility of the town halls that employ them.

The training of lifeguard swimmers is provided by 800 volunteer trainers within our 32 training and intervention centers (CFI) spread throughout mainland France. The training of trainers is organized by the National Training Directorate .

You can register with the training center nearest to you by completing our registration form for lifeguard swimmers .

8 months of training and internships, to obtain 6 diplomas

Becoming a lifeguard involves validating 6 essential :

This diploma course allows you to work as a seasonal lifeguard on the beaches of the coast. Once graduated, volunteer rescue swimmers are offered to coastal communities.

 It covers all the knowledge necessary for the accomplishment of the mission: surveillance of bathing areas, prevention of accidents and drownings, assistance to swimmers or beach users injured or in difficulty, carrying out care, etc.

Lifeguard swimmers also follow additional specialty training which is managed by the SNSM training department and designed, coordinated and provided by volunteer trainers: marine jet piloting, semi-rigid piloting, rescue on dangerous coasts, etc

They have an obligation to train regularly to maintain their skill level. Lifeguard swimmers are involved in the SNSM for 3–4 years on average. This rotation requires a permanent effort of recruitment and training on the part of the association, in order to be able to meet the needs of the municipalities.

Ensuring performance through continuous training 

In parallel with their practice in the field, lifeguard swimmers are followed by trainers who regularly check their level of skills from their second year of activity. With experience, lifeguard swimmers can continue their training to become assistant station chiefs, station chiefs or even trainers.

With more than 250 lifeguard stations on the beaches and 1,447 rescue swimmers deployed, the SNSM covers a third of the supervised beaches in mainland France.

Do you want to become a Sea Lifeguard?

The Paris Île-de-France Training and Intervention Center  located in Sèvres (92310), has trained around twenty lifeguards every year since 1958. Aged between 16 and 45 on average, they are recruited mainly among students and employees. 

Volunteers of the SNSM during the year, the main activities of the Center are the initial and continuous training of Swimmers Rescuers but also  the intervention for the safety of nautical and land events in the Paris region.

The operation is ensured by our director Laurent MAUGAN , but also by qualified trainers who have entered the Center in order to share our values: Dynamism, Cohesion, Exceeding.