At Surfland Brasil, the job of keeping a surf session running smoothly goes beyond watching from the edge of the pool.
For Felipe Sousa, the role sits somewhere between safety, coaching, crowd awareness and surf knowledge. On some days, he works as a lifeguard around the pool and other aquatic areas of the resort. On others, he steps into the water as a guide, briefing surfers before their session, explaining the rules, reading the group and helping people have the best experience possible.
Felipe has surfed for most of his life and worked several seasons as a beach lifeguard before joining the Surfland team. At the wave pool, that background carries over, but the environment is different. The ocean brings currents, crowds and unpredictable conditions. The pool brings structure, proximity and a different kind of attention.
We spoke with Felipe about his role, the difference between lifeguarding in the ocean and in a wave pool, and what it takes to guide beginner and intermediate surfers through a safe and fun session.
Tell us your role at Surfland and how long you have been working here.
I work as a lifeguard and guide here at Surfland. We rotate between the two roles. One day we work as lifeguards, another day we work as guides. I am close to completing two years with the company. Before this, I was living abroad. When I came back, I already knew the team here and I managed to join the operation.
Were you already a lifeguard before Surfland, or did you develop that role here?
I have been a surfer for a long time. The surf coach and guide side is something I learned here at Surfland, through Gabriel and the supervision team. As a lifeguard, I already had experience from the beach. My first season was in 2012, and I have done around five beach seasons since then.
How does the rotation between lifeguard and surf guide work?
We rotate with each work schedule. Today, our schedule is 12 by 36 (Note: this means that the employee works 12 hours one day and is off the next day.) When we are working as lifeguards, we take care of safety around the whole pool area, the lobby and the training center, which also has a swimming pool. So on lifeguard days, the focus is aquatic safety. When we are scheduled as guides, we usually run around four to five sessions. We give the briefing to all the surfers before the session, explain how the pool works, go through the rules and explain the type of wave they will be surfing. Even when we are guiding in the water, we still support the safety side as well. That responsibility is always there.
What is the most challenging part of your work?
I think we can talk about both sides. As a lifeguard, the most challenging part is knowing that we are dealing with people’s lives. Even though we are not on the beach dealing with ocean currents and swimmers, we are still in a pool with experienced and inexperienced surfers. We always pay attention to the person who looks more tired or the person who seems to be struggling, because the session might be a bit heavy for them. We pay extra attention to that surfer to avoid any problems.
As a guide, the biggest challenge is controlling the session well. When we have beginner or intermediate sessions, we know people are there to have fun, but also to learn. So we try to guide the session in a way that everyone enjoys it, nobody gets hurt and everyone leaves happy. That is the daily challenge. As a lifeguard, it is having a day without accidents. As a guide, it is making sure everyone has fun and stays safe.
What part of the job gives you the most satisfaction?
I have surfed since I was young, and I have worked as a lifeguard many times before. Now, being able to do that in a private operation, inside a wave pool, means we leave work satisfied because we are doing something we like. Even when you are working as a lifeguard, watching the waves and wanting to be out there catching a few, it is still satisfying to see people having fun and surfing. It is something I have always done myself, so seeing other people enjoy it every day is one of the best parts of the job.
You worked as a lifeguard in the ocean before. In your opinion, which environment is more difficult?
I think the ocean is more difficult. At the beach, you are dealing with everything at the same time. A lot of swimmers, children, beachgoers and different situations happening all around you. I worked seasons at Praia do Rosa, and in summer it can be packed. You need to be watching everything all the time.
Here, it is different. People are surfing, so we still need to take care of safety, but there are lifeguards positioned throughout the pool area. I think someone getting hurt is more likely than someone drowning. At the beach, there are usually fewer lifeguards for a lot of people. Here, we have lifeguards close by in different areas, so I think it is a much safer environment in that sense.
What is winter like for the lifeguard and guide team?
Winter is different from the summer season because it is quieter. In summer, there is much more movement, so we apply everything we trained for during the winter. During the quieter months, we have more time to do recurring training with Gabriel Petersen and the supervisors.
We simulate different situations inside the pool, including cervical injuries, where we need to enter the water with a board and remove someone safely from the pool. So in winter, we train a lot to be prepared for summer, when the operation gets busier.
It is similar to the beach. Before the season starts, lifeguards go through preparation and recertification so they can work with more confidence and safety. With the resort operating, I believe winter might change because more people will be staying here and using the pool. But for now, that quieter period gives us time to train and stay sharp for the high season.
