Glossary
Lifeguard Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential lifeguard terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key lifeguard vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in lifeguard training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- 10/20 rule
- Scan your zone in 10 seconds and reach victims in 20.
- Active drowning victim
- A person struggling who can’t call for help.
- AED
- Automated external defibrillator.
- Backboard
- A board used to move injured people.
- CPR
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- EAP
- Emergency action plan.
- Head lifeguard
- A lifeguard supervisor.
- In-service training
- Regular practice drills.
- Passive drowning victim
- A submerged or motionless person.
- Rescue tube
- A flotation device used in rescues.
- Rip current
- A strong current flowing away from shore.
- Rotation
- Switching guard positions.
- Scanning
- Systematically watching the water.
- Spinal injury
- An injury requiring careful stabilization.
- Zone
- The area a lifeguard is responsible for.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Lifeguard practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Lifeguard training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.