Every candidate attending a OWL course must:
- Be 16-years-old or over at the time of assessment
- Be competent and confident in open water
- Be able to submerge under the water confidently
- Before the course, candidates must be able to swim at least 400 metres in a pool/ open water swimming continuously on their front and showing urgency
- Able to submerge under the water confidently
- Must complete minimum guided learning hours
- Successfully complete the course assessment

The OWL enables candidates with no previous lifeguard experience to become qualified. By attaining this qualification candidates will have been assessed as competent to provide supervision and rescue cover for planned, organised and risk-assessed activities in open water still, non-tidal.
- Section 1 - The Open Water Lifeguard, environment, hazards and supervision
- Section 2 - Responding to an emergency and taking action
- Section 3 - CPR and First Aid

Assessment for the OWL takes place at the end of the course. It determines your knowledge and understanding of the principles of working as a Open Water lifeguard and assesses your ability to apply the skills and knowledge to keep people safe in open water. The assessment is split into three sections:
- Practical Open Water assessment
- Theory Assessment
– verbal question and answer session with the assessor
- Practical First Aid & CPR assessment