WSI – Water Safety Instructor
 
The Water Safety Instructor (WSI) Course prepares candidates to instruct the Red Cross Swim programs. Candidates focus on strategies to introduce and develop fitness activities, skills and water safety, and swimming skills in the Red Cross Swim Preschool, Red Cross Swim Kids, Red Cross Swim @ School, Red Cross Swim @ Camp, Red Cross Swim for Adults & Teens, and Red Cross Swim Adapted programs.
Another benefit to this course is that candidates develop skills speaking in front of people. Public speaking is a skill that is relevant and beneficial to any future career path.  
 

The format for the WSI course is:

  • Pre-screening Component – Skills, which are consistent with the course prerequisites, are reviewed and evaluated. (Prerequisites:  Swim Kids 10 or equivalent; and, one of Emergency First Aid, Bronze Cross, or Red Cross Assistant Lifeguard). This takes 6 to 8 hours.
  • Online WSI Component – Candidates are to complete the online component of the course. This takes 15 to 20 hours.
  • Co-teach Component – Candidates are to complete a co-teach session with a WSI. (Information on how to do this will be given out following the Pre-screening session). The Online and Co-teach Components could be done concurrently. This is at least 8 hours.
  • Core Component – This is the classroom and pool part of the course. Candidates should have completed the Pre-screening, the Online and Co-teach Components before taking this part of the course. This is about 24 hours long.

Next Courses

They will be at St James Centennial Pool from 6:00-9:30pm. All candidates will have to pay a public swim admission to enter the pool area.

Due to the arrival of COVID-19 in Winnipeg, all classes will be postponed. Stay safe! 

Winter-and-Spring Water Safety Instructor – Sundays, March 1 – April 19 (No classes on March 29, April 5 and 12)

  • We are working on the assumption that we will be able to start offering courses on May 15th. This is, however, only an assumption. We will follow Health Canada recommendations.
  • The WSI course which began March 1st will continue as follows:
    • Sunday, May 31, 6:00-9:30pm at St James Centennial Pool;
    • Sunday, June 7, 6:00-9:30pm at St James Centennial Pool ;
    • Sunday, June 14, 5:00-9:00pm at Birds Hill Park Waterfront.

Spring Water Safety Instructor – Sundays, May 3 – June 14 (No classes on May 17); the last class will be held at Birds Hill Park Waterfront.

  • We are working on the assumption that we will be able to start offering courses on May 15th. This is, however, only an assumption. We will follow Health Canada recommendations.
  • The WSI course that was originally scheduled to begin on May 3rd has been postponed to the following dates:
    • Wednesday-Friday, June 3-5, 8:30-4:30 at Cindy Klassen Rec Complex;
    • Sunday, June 14, 5:00-9:00pm at Birds Hill Park Waterfront.

WSI

WSI TRANSFER 

If someone is a Swimming Instructor with a different recognized agency (Swim For Life Instructor, I Can Swim Instructor, YMCA Swim Instructor, Ultra Swim Instructor, or American WSI) and would like to teach the Red Cross Water Safety program, they can take a WSI Transfer course. If you would like a WSI Transfer course, we are taking a waiting list. Please contact us.

 

WSI Transfer


 

WSI RECERTIFICATION

All WSIs must recertify every two years to remain qualified. New WSIs must complete three online Professional Development sessions within their first two-years (these are free and available in the Red Cross Online Portal).

If a WSI has expired, they are not certified to teach. They can re-engage by taking a WSI recertification

Due to the arrival of COVID-19 in Winnipeg, all classes will be postponed. Stay safe! If you were registered in any WSI Recerts between March 16 and May 15, your session was postponed. Please select one of the following WSI Recerts. Send me an email and indicate your original registration date, your first choice for a new date, and a second choice for a new date. (If these dates do not work, send me an email also and I can set something different up.)

Choose one of the following dates:

  • Friday, May 22, 5:00-9:30pm, Cindy Klassen Rec Complex; OR,
  • Wednesday, May 27, 8:30-1:30, Cindy Klassen Rec Complex; OR,
  • Thursday, May 28, 8:30-1:30, Pan-Am Pool; OR,
  • Monday, June 8, 8:30-1:30, Cindy Klassen Rec Complex; OR,
  • Tuesday, June 9, 12:00-5:00, Cindy Klassen Rec Complex; OR,
  • Wednesday, June 10, 12:30-5:30, Cindy Klassen Rec Complex; OR,
  • Thursday, June 11, 5:00-10:00pm, Birds Hill Park Waterfront; OR,
  • Monday, June 22, 5:00-10:00pm, Birds Hill Park Waterfront; OR,
  • Friday, June 26, 8:30-1:30, Birds Hill Park Waterfront; OR,
  • Wednesday, July 22, 5:30-9:30pm, Birds Hill Park Waterfront; OR,
  • Wednesday, August 19, 5:30-9:30pm, Birds Hill Park Waterfront; OR,
  • Tuesday, September 8, 12:00-5:00, Birds Hill Park Waterfront; OR,
  • Wednesday, September 9, 9:00-1:00, Birds Hill Park Waterfront; OR,
  • Thursday, September 24, 9:00-1:00, Pan-Am Pool; OR,
  • If you can’t find a day that works for you, please contact us and we can set up another one on a different day. All candidates will have to pay a public swim admission to enter the pool area.
  • Contact Us.
WSIR

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