District 622 Community Education

The Water Safety Instructor, also known as WSI™, course trains instructor candidates to teach all of the courses presented in the Swimming and Water Safety program to all age groups; all of the courses listed above, plus Learn-to-Swim Levels 4-6 and Adult Swim. This certification is the gold standard and provides the most comprehensive training for swim instructors.

During our swim instructor certification training courses you'll learn how to help individuals enjoy their time in the water safely – and in a wide range of ways. Throughout the courses we'll focus on a number of key areas that can help you succeed as aquatics instructor, such as:

• Water safety at public pools, homes, natural bodies of water and more, including the Circle of Drowning Prevention and Chain of Drowning Survival.
• Hydrodynamics, including why some things float, resistance to movement and creating movement in water, swimming efficiency and laws of levers.
• Basic safety, survival and swimming skills to help children gain water competency.
• Helping people with disabilities and other health conditions enjoy the water safely.

Water Safety Instructors will also learn how to teach:

• Higher-level swim skills that help prepare people of all ages for any aquatic activity.
• Stroke mechanics for all competitive strokes as well as starts, turns and headfirst entries.
• Water safety certification courses, including Safety Training for Swim Coaches and Basic Water Rescue.
• Fundamentals of diving from a diving board.
• Aquatic fitness and training for people of any age.

Note: In order to participate in Basic Swim Instructor and Water Safety Instructor certification classes, participants must be at least 15 years of age by the end of the course.