American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (WSI) training prepares instructor candidates to teach courses and presentations in the Red Cross Swimming and Water Safety Program—including Parent & Child Aquatics, Preschool Aquatics, Learn‑to‑Swim levels, Adult Swim and Private Lessons, Safety Training for Swim Coaches and other water‑safety presentations. Candidates must be at least 16 years of age by the final session and be able to demonstrate Level‑4 swimming skills (25‑yard front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, elementary backstroke and sidestroke; 15‑yard butterfly; maintain a back float for one minute; and tread water for one minute). The blended‑learning version of the course includes interactive online simulation work and instructor‑led sessions and takes about 30 hours and 15 minutes to complete, with roughly 6 hours 45 minutes online and 23 hours 30 minutes in person. To earn certification, participants must successfully complete the precourse session, attend and participate in all course sessions, complete practice teaching assignments and score at least 80% on the final exam. Certification is valid for two years.