Policies and Procedures

Terms, Policies, and Procedures for Happy Swimmer Clients

All clients MUST agree to abide by the terms below. In booking with us, and having our lifeguard work at your event, you hereby agree to be bound by the terms below.

1. NON-REFUNDABLE ADMIN FEE

A $45 admin fee will be retained from your payment if you cancel your booking due to any of the terms or conditions outlined in our Terms, Policies & Procedures. These policies are provided and must be confirmed with your initials before submitting payment. We recommend reviewing them carefully prior to booking to avoid this fee.

2. LIFEGUARD SCHEDULING AND BOOKING CONFIRMATION

Our team begins the scheduling process only after the booking is confirmed in our system, which includes full payment. This policy applies to all clients, including returning customers. To ensure we can start looking for available lifeguards for your event, please complete the booking form and payment in a timely manner.

3. CHANGES TO YOUR BOOKING OR CANCELLATIONS

3a. Cancellations must be made more than 72 hours in advance by email. If canceled more than 72 hours before the event, you will receive a 100% refund with no processing fees. Cancellations made within 72 hours of the event will receive a 50% refund. Same day cancellations (within 24 hours of the start time) are non-refundable.

3b. If dangerous weather is expected, you may reschedule or cancel for a full refund – but you must contact the assigned lifeguard before they begin traveling. Their contact info will be shared in the assignment.
No refund is given if the lifeguard is already on the way.

3c. Refunds may take up to 5 business days to be processed. Refunds are only issued by the same method as they were paid.

3d. If you need to change the time or date of your event, the first change is free of charge – as long as it is requested at least one week before the event. Please submit your request in writing by replying to your booking confirmation email. Any additional changes, or changes made less than a week before the event, will incur a $30 change fee per change, payable through our office.

3e. If you request to change the event date or time within 72 hours’ notice, and if the lifeguard assigned is unavailable for the new schedule, a rush fee of $50 per lifeguard will be billed in order to assign a new LG, in addition to the $30 change fee. And in case no lifeguards are available for the new schedule you will receive 50% refund of your booking total except for the rush fee paid.

3f. If you request to change the event date or time within 24 hours’ notice, and if the lifeguard assigned is unavailable for the new schedule, a rush fee of $100 per lifeguard will be billed in order to assign a new LG, in addition to the $30 change fee. And in case no lifeguards are available for the new schedule you will receive no refund including the rush fee paid.

3g. In the event that a lifeguard does not show up to your scheduled event, please promptly notify our regional manager. Upon receiving your notification, we will make every effort to assign a replacement lifeguard on short notice. Additionally, you will be refunded for the portion of the event during which the originally assigned lifeguard was not present. If we are unable to find a replacement you will receive a 100% refund.

4. SAFETY

4a. Lifeguard to swim guest ratio is 1 to 15 people in the pool at one time. If all swimmers are strong and at least 8 years old, ratio cannot exceed 1 lifeguard to 20 people in the pool. This includes all body of water. If a lifeguard gets to your party, and the ratio exceeds a safe limit ratio as determined by the lifeguard, they will inform the host to help limit the number of guests in the pool at a time. In the unlikely case that the host declines, lifeguards will remove themselves from the party without a client refund.

4b. Large non-see-through rafts or an overabundance of rafts are not allowed for safety reasons. If lifeguards think any activity or equipment is unsafe, they have the right to remove it immediately. If your pool has a slide, you must request a second lifeguard on top of the ratio stated above to monitor the slide (i.e. if there are 20 swimmers, there must be 2 lifeguards scheduled)

4c. Diving boards are not allowed to be used while Happy Swimmer lifeguards are on duty. If there is a diving board at the pool, it must be blocked off to all swimmers while the lifeguard is at the facility.

4d. Due to liability, we cannot lifeguard private events held at a semi-public pool (HOA, condo or apartment complex, etc.), or public pool unless you, the host, have chartered the whole pool for your event exclusively.

4e. Lifeguards may tell parents to be in the water with their children if they are weaker swimmers and do not have the proper safety attire or have that child sit out of the pool. Please make sure to tell all parents that weak swimmers need to be accompanied by an adult and have coast guard approved life jackets/puddle jumpers prior to the event.

4f. All lifeguards at event must be booked through Happy Swimmers; no other lifeguard companies or individually certified lifeguards can work with a Happy Swimmer lifeguard for insurance purposes.

4g. All children 5 and under must ALWAYS be within arm’s length of their guardian while in the water. Lifeguards will enforce this so please let attendees know beforehand and plan ahead to get in the water.

If any of the safety points mentioned above, or any part of normal lifeguarding procedures are not agreed to be followed or remedied by the client or host after being notified by the lifeguard(s) at the scene, the lifeguard(s) must remove themselves from the event and will receive full pay. No refunds will be given to a client willfully in violation of the above safety rules.

5. TIME AND TRAVEL

5a. If a lifeguard is requested to stay over the original contracted time, Client will be billed by our office to the closest 15 minutes. Do NOT pay the lifeguard directly, any cash given to lifeguards is for tipping purposes only.

5b. Lifeguards are scheduled and paid a minimum of 3 hours per event. If you need a lifeguard for less than 3 hours, you are still required to pay for the time but can let the lifeguard go early if they are no longer needed.

5c. If you release a lifeguard early, the original booking contract of your order will not be refunded.

5d. If a lifeguard accepts your party and is more than 60 miles away round trip, a travel stipend may be requested from you for the lifeguard. Our booking manager will provide the exact amount, at which point you may choose to accept or decline, and receive a full refund if you choose not to proceed.

6. LIFEGUARD GENDER PREFERENCE

While we understand that some clients may have a preference for a male or female lifeguard, we are unable to guarantee the gender of the assigned lifeguard. We will do our best to accommodate your request, but staffing depends on availability and cannot be guaranteed.

7. ADDITIONALLY INSURED

We cannot list private residences as additionally insured; our insurance does not allow. If you are a company or facility, you can request to be additionally insured for $150 extra per event. To request, please email Laís at billing office@happyswimmers.com

8. RUSH SERVICE OPTIONS

8a. If you book within 72 to 48 hours of the event, a $50 rush fee per lifeguard will automatically be added to your total.

8b. If you book less than 48 hours in advance, a $100 urgent rush fee per lifeguard applies. You will receive either your lifeguard(s) assignment within 12 hours, or a notification that no lifeguard is available, in which case your full booking amount will be refunded.

8c. If you choose to cancel after booking, the rush fee is non-refundable – unless we are unable to assign the lifeguard(s).

For rush events, we will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm we can take your last-minute request. For non-rush bookings, a booking manager will begin working on your request and reach out within 48 hours.

Booking Managers, if needed please reach out to your location’s manager: