To become a qualified swimming instructor, you will need to obtain the necessary certification, complete a background check, acquire a CPR and First Aid certification, become certified in water safety, and gain experience teaching swimming lessons.

The very short answer to this question is no, you technically do not need to be certified to be a swim instructor to teach someone how to swim. Anyone can teach swim lessons in virtually any pool. When might you need a certification to teach swim lessons? There are a couple situations where teaching swim lessons may require a certification:

To become a swim instructor, you are required to complete a program such as AUSTSWIM and attain licensing. The training will consist of 16-20 hours of an online component, supervised work experience and in-person training. You should be 16 years old or above, with outstanding swimming ability and a high level of physical fitness.