Lifesaving Sport Competition Pathway

The Lifesaving Society, Nova Scotia branch, supports all athletes competing in lifesaving sport. We encourage all clubs and teams to work towards and compete at our local competitions as well as attending our national events. Pool Lifesaving Championships will be held in BC June 2024. Surf Nationals will be held at Parlee beach, New Brunswick in August 2024. Lifesaving World Championships will be held in Australia September/October 2024. 

With the exception of Worlds (qualifier event required), Canadian Pool and Canadian Surf nationals and our Nova Scotia Lifesaving Sport Series (Pool and Open) are open to all clubs to attend. Any athletes looking to qualify to the Canadian team will be recognised through competing at our National events. All clubs are encouraged to support athlete attendance to these events and these events are on our provincial schedule. 

Lifesaving sport is an aquatic sport to fit in alongside swimming lessons/swim team/completing lifeguarding certifications and working as a lifeguard. Lifesaving sport adds an extra element of competition to the sport of swimming and helps maintain fitness and key skills for lifeguards in training and those working at our affiliate facilities. The requirement for competing in lifesaving sport is to be a minimum of 7 years of age and able to complete the Swim to survive standard - roll into water, tread 1 minute and swim 50 meters. Check out our clubs and teams page for a list of affiliate facilities who offer lifesaving sport programs and/or junior lifeguard club. 

If you already work as a lifeguard at an aquatic facility, check in with your aquatics supervisor for more information. If you would like a team clinic or staff inservice training, please reach out to Lauren at laurenc@lifesavingns.ca for more information!

Lifesaving sport is an aquatic sport designed to help promote drowning prevention. Lifesaving sport is the only sport whose skills are first learned for humanitarian purposes. Through lifesaving sport, the Lifesaving Society seeks to engage and inspire youth in our drowning prevention mission. 

Lifesaving sport plays a significant role in ensuring our National Lifeguards have the ability, confidence and passion to meet the physical challenges and demands of pool and surf lifesaving. While lifesaving competition in Canada has changed significantly since the Society's first Canadian Lifeguard Championships in 1977, some things never change. Our humanitarian mission remains the foundation of all of the Society's activities.