Beach
LifeguardPool
LifeguardRookies
(6-13) Lifesaving
(senior) CommunityFirst
AidFirst ResponderTrainer
Assessor
An
inshore rescue boat (IRB) enables a fast response to any incident in the water.
However, without proper handling it can be a dangerous piece of equipment.
The RLSS Rescue Boat qualifications provide you with the skills needed to
operate these boats safely for patrolling and rescue purposes within a beach
lifeguard unit.
As with all lifeguarding skills, but especially with boat handling, a course can only teach you so much. Ongoing practical experience after the course is essential in order to become fully competent. As such, the Rescue Boat programme is designed to be progressive in nature and involve both attendance at courses and ongoing practical experience.
The Rescue Boat qualification is designed specifically for beach lifeguarding purposes and therefore all candidates must hold a current National Beach Lifeguard Qualification before attending a Rescue Boat course. There are two levels to the Rescue Boat qualification itself, the first part is Rescue Boat (Crew) which can then be followed by Rescue Boat (Helm).
For both you must first attend a training course and then complete logged hours of training before being entered for assessment. In terms of the boat handling skills covered, the helm qualification is equivalent to the RYA Powerboat Level 2 (recognised as the 'driving licence' for boats) - although due to the specialised nature of rescue boat you are required to have a lot more practical experience in the boats for the RLSS award.
Your first step to becoming qualified to use an IRB is to attend a Rescue Boat (Crew) course which will teach you the basic boat handling skills along with the specific role of the crewman in a rescue craft.
You must fulfil the following pre-requisites before attendance:
- At least 16-years-of-age at the commencement of training
- Hold a current National Beach Lifeguard Qualification (holders of other
RLSS Open Water Lifesaving awards may be able to attend with suitable experience)
- Hold a current Life Support 3 award
- Have no limiting disabilities
The initial training course will last a minimum of 15 hours, after which you will be required to log a minimum of 10 hours of logged practical experience (e.g. when on patrol) over a period of no less than two months. These are the minimum durations and typically courses and ongoing training will exceed these durations. If you are already qualified to RYA Powerboat Level 2 standard and you have logged experience you may be able to take the Rescue Boat (Crew) assessment straight away.
Click here for the Crew syllabus of skills you will be tested on.
After you have qualified as Rescue Boat (Crew) you will be able to attend the Rescue Boat (Helm) course, which goes more indepth into the skills and theory and specifically to the role and responsibilities of the helmsman.
You must fulfil the following pre-requisites before attendance:
- At least 18-years-of-age at the commencement of training
- Hold a current National Beach Lifeguard Qualification
- Hold a current Life Support 3 award
- Hold a current Rescue Boat (Crew) Qualification
- Have no limiting disabilities
The initial training course will again last a minimum of 15 hours, after which
you will be required to log a minimum of 20 hours of logged practical experience
(e.g. when on patrol) over a period of no less than six months. These are
the minimum durations and typically courses and ongoing training will exceed
these durations.
Click here for the Helm syllabus of skills you will be tested on.
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