• Home
• >
• Recreation
• >
• Beaches & coast
• >
• Our lifeguards

Our lifeguards

Waverley Council’s lifeguards are a group of professionals who are highly trained in rescue and resuscitation techniques. They work year-round to help keep the community safe, patrolling Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches.

What do lifeguards do?

The role of our lifeguards is to assess beach conditions throughout the day and monitor the safety of beach users.

On top of their frontline work, they also visit schools and community groups to educate the public about beach safety. To enquire about educational presentations from lifeguards, contact us.

Lifeguard hours of operation

• High season (October to April): 6am–7pm, Monday to Sunday
• Low season (May to September): 7am–5:30pm, Monday to Sunday

Difference between lifeguards and lifesavers

Both lifeguards and lifesavers work hard to keep beach visitors safe. Lifeguards are employed by Council whereas lifesavers are volunteers who give their time to patrol beaches during the summer period. The easiest way to spot the difference between lifeguards and lifesavers is by their uniform – lifeguards wear a blue uniform while lifesavers wear red and yellow.

There are four volunteer Surf Life Saving Clubs (SLSC) located in the Waverley LGA:

• Bronte SLSC
• Tamarama SLSC
• North Bondi SLSC
• Bondi Bathers SLSC

Lifeguard qualifications and recruitment

To become a lifeguard, applicants should have experience in surf lifesaving or professional lifeguarding on open ocean surf beaches in a wide range of conditions. Applicants must have a high level of physical fitness and will be required to undergo physical tests within specified time periods.

For more information, view the Lifeguard criteria. To apply for a lifeguard role, visit Jobs for the latest vacancies.

Waverley Council is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all candidates. We strongly encourage applications from women and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

For more information, email our Customer Service Centre at info@waverley.nsw.gov.au or call 9083 8000.