Water Safety Instructor Training
Swim Instructor Certification
Earn your certification to teach American Red Cross swimming and water safety courses. Gain the necessary skills to teach students of all ages and abilities. Through our Aquatic Instructor Training program, you will help swimmers meet their goals, improve their skills, and stay safe in, on, and around water.
Basic Swim Instructor (BSI)
The Basic Swim Instructor (BSI) course trains instructor candidates to teach the fundamental Learn-to-Swim courses. This includes Parent and Child Aquatics, Preschool Aquatics, Learn-to-Swim Levels 1-3, and private swimming lessons. BSI candidates are not required to perform advanced strokes and skills such as butterfly, backstroke, and diving.
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What You'll Learn
In this course, you will focus on the fundamentals of teaching swimming, ensuring safety, and guiding children and adults to build water competency.
Water Safety Instructor (WSI)
The Water Safety Instructor (WSI) course is the gold standard for swim instructors, providing comprehensive training. In this course, you will learn to teach all courses in the Swimming and Water Safety program, including Learn-to-Swim Levels 4-6 and Adult Swim. This certification provides the most extensive training for swim instructors and prepares you to teach all age groups.
What You'll Learn
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Higher-level swim skills and stroke mechanics
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Teaching stroke mechanics for competitive strokes, turns, starts, and entries
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Water safety skills including Safety Training for Swim Coaches and Basic Water Rescue
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Fundamentals of diving and aquatic fitness for all ages
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How to work with people with disabilities or health conditions to ensure they enjoy water safely
Swim Instructor Skills and Characteristics
In addition to basic swim instructor skills, other essential skills include:
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Communication: Water instructors explain techniques clearly to help students understand and improve.
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Patience: Water instructors remain calm and supportive as students progress at their own pace.
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Motivation: Instructors encourage students, helping them stay confident and motivated to succeed in the water.
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Observation Skills: Instructors watch students carefully to give feedback and correct form for better performance.
