Scanning

Scanning is one of the most important skills a lifeguard must use. A lifeguard may go through training and monthly in-service; they may be the best person with rescues, CPR, and rescue breathing, but if they do not scan their water, their skills are not going to be much use to them or a person in trouble.

Ten twenty stands for ten seconds to see a guest in distress and twenty seconds to reach them and render aid. The ten twenty scanning pattern is used by lifeguards to ensure full safety of guests at a pool. We scan our water, moving our heads in different ways to cover every part of the pool, checking the top, the middle, and the bottom of the water. The entire zone should be scanned all within the ten second time frame. A lifeguard never brakes their ten twenty as long as they are in stand.

There are five stages of drowning that can all occur within a minute with an average child. The first stage is Surprise! In this stage the person begins to struggle at the surface, bobbing up and down but still able to bring in air. With a child, this first stage lasts around thirty seconds. An adult may take longer. Our goal as lifeguards is to get to the person in distress and render aid before they pass the first stage of drowning.

Every lifeguard should provide their guests with the ten twenty. It is a lifeguad's number one priority to keep the people at the pool safe. True safety can be given if the ten twenty scanning pattern is used.

One of the most effective scanning patterns.