Water Safety Specialists

What Water Safety Specialists does

Water Safety Specialists is a privately held, founder-owned water safety services company headquartered in San Diego, California. The firm provides professional open water, surf, and enclosed water rescue services for film and television productions, sports events (triathlons, boat races, paddleboard races, professional surfing competitions), and special events including corporate and private gatherings. It also operates an on-site training academy offering instructor certifications in surfing, stand up paddleboarding, personal watercraft operation, and CPR/AED/First Aid.

The company's core operational capability rests on a staff of certified lifeguard EMTs, rescue boat operators, PWC rescue specialists, SCUBA safety divers, and high-angle rope rescue personnel, supported by specialized equipment including a 24-foot rigid hull inflatable rescue vessel, a 14-foot inflatable rescue boat, and rescue-ready personal watercraft. It is led by owner Jim Lockwood, a City of San Diego Fire Rescue Lifeguard Division professional since 1986, and was co-founded with another longtime San Diego lifeguard, yielding a combined 50 years of real-life rescue experience.

Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) professional services contracts for event water safety, which are sold through direct enterprise sales via phone and email and priced on a customized per-event basis with detailed water safety analysis and emergency action plans; and (2) one-time training course fees, ranging from $100 (PWC Awareness, CPR/AED/First Aid) to $250 (Surfing Instructor and SUP Instructor Safety Training), sold through the company website and delivered at the San Diego location or on-site for groups of 10 or more. Customer concentration spans marquee enterprise logos (Fox Studios, NBC, Red Bull, Southwest Airlines, Hilton, Marriott, Olympic Training Center) alongside a long tail of individual course buyers, with operations currently confined to California.

Name

Water Safety Specialists

Legal name

Water Safety Specialists

Website

https://watersafetyspecialists.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Water Safety Specialists is a founder-owned San Diego firm providing professional water rescue and medical safety services for film productions, sports events, and special events, alongside instructor certification courses in surfing, SUP, PWC operation, and CPR/AED/First Aid, serving enterprise clients and individual course buyers in California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquatic Safety Services

akta.pro primary industry

Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Safety, Lifeguarding & Training Services (Staffing, Certification) (THAAABAL)

Keywords

• Water rescue services
• Aquatic safety training
• Lifeguard services
• First aid certification
• Event safety services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Safety Services: Professional water rescue and medical services for film/television shoots, sports events, and special events. Provides detailed water safety analysis and emergency action plans.
2. Training Courses: One-time fee courses including Surfing Instructor Safety Training ($250), Stand Up Paddleboarding Instructor Safety Training ($250), Personal Watercraft Awareness Course ($100), and CPR/AED/First Aid Training ($100).
3. Certified Personnel: Provides certified lifeguard EMTs, rescue boat operators, PWC rescue specialists, SCUBA safety divers, and high angle rope rescue operations personnel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Water Safety Specialists delivers on-water rescue and medical staffing for film/TV productions, sports events, corporate and private functions, and hotels. It also sells a catalog of aquatic safety certification courses covering surfing instruction, stand-up paddleboarding instruction, personal watercraft awareness, and CPR/AED/First Aid. Operations are anchored in San Diego and supported by purpose-built rescue craft and USCG/EMT-credentialed personnel.

Product overview

Water Safety Specialists offers a portfolio of professional water rescue and medical services, along with instructor training courses. The core offerings include four main training courses: Surfing Instructor Safety Training (18-hour, 2-day course), CPR/AED/First Aid Training, Level 1 Stand Up Paddleboarding Instructor Safety Training (16-hour course with AHA certification), and Personal Watercraft Awareness Course (4-hour course). The company also provides service offerings including professional water rescue personnel (lifeguards, safety divers, rescue boat operators, PWC specialists), medical services (EMTs, paramedics, set medics), event safety for triathlons and film productions, and water safety consulting with professional witness services. Equipment includes a 24ft rigid hull inflatable rescue vessel, 14ft inflatable rescue boat, and rescue-ready Personal Water Craft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Surfing Instructor Safety Training A safety certification course for surfing instructors that equips surf school staff and independent surf coaches to prevent and respond to water emergencies in a surf environment.
• Level 1: Stand Up Paddleboarding Instructor Safety Training A Level 1 safety training course for stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) instructors, covering rescue and emergency response procedures specific to SUP teaching environments.
• Personal Watercraft Awareness Course A safety awareness course for personal watercraft (PWC) operators and rental staff that addresses the risks of jet ski use and on-water hazard response.
• CPR, AED and First Aid Training A CPR, AED, and First Aid certification course delivered to healthcare providers, fitness professionals, and members of the public for compliance and credentialing needs.
• Water Rescue Services On-water rescue coverage using a 24-foot rigid hull inflatable rescue vessel, a 14-foot inflatable rescue boat, and a rescue-ready personal watercraft, deployed at film/TV productions, sports events, hotels, and private gatherings ranging from 5 to 5,000 participants.
• Medical Services On-site EMT-staffed medical coverage bundled with water rescue deployments at events and productions, providing first response and triage for participants, crew, and guests.
• Event Safety Services Turn-key safety staffing for sports events, corporate functions, and private events, combining lifeguard personnel, rescue craft, and on-site medical resources under a single contract.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of water-related accidents prevented and hundreds of lives saved
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NASCO (National Aquatic Safety Company): Provides lifeguard training, aquatic safety consulting, and risk management services to aquatic facilities nationwide. Comparable service mix to WSS across training and consulting.
• Rescue 3 International: Provides technical water rescue, swift water rescue, and boat rescue training courses to public safety and private-sector responders. Comparable training curriculum to WSS's rescue-focused course portfolio.
• StarGuard ELITE: Premium lifeguard certification program offering pre-certification courses and aquatic safety training with a focus on premium pool and waterfront operators. Comparable to WSS's CPR/AED and lifeguard training portfolio.
• Jeff Ellis & Associates: International aquatic risk management consulting firm offering lifeguard training, aquatic safety audits, and venue management. Directly comparable to Water Safety Specialists' combination of certification training and on-site event safety services.
• American Lifeguard Association: National lifeguard, CPR, and First Aid certification organization offering online and in-person courses to individuals and employers. Directly competes with WSS's entry-level aquatic certification products.
• Aquatic Safety Research Group: Specializes in aquatic risk assessments, safety audits, and rescue training consulting for pools and waterfront facilities. Comparable consulting/training offerings to WSS's water safety analysis and emergency action plan services.

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross: Largest U.S. provider of CPR, AED, First Aid, and lifeguard certification training through a national network. Overlaps with WSS's certification training but operates as a broad incumbent across many safety verticals.
• American Heart Association: Sets the CPR/AED/First Aid certification standards used across healthcare and lay rescuer training, and issues the AHA certification that WSS's SUP course includes. Broad incumbent rather than a direct training competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/166512940090153
• Instagraminstagram.com/watersafetyspecialists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/water-safety-specialists

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Water Safety Specialists