Lifeguarding vs Ride Host

I really want to work at Cedar Point for the summer and have been reading about it for a long time! But anyways, I was just wondering if people would recommend lifeguarding or being a ride host? I worked as a lifeguard last summer but it was a small indoor pool so nothing like working at a Water Park. Are then any benefits to working either job? Lifeguarding would be a natural position for me I guess but I feel like working a ride is just more exciting and would allow me to interact with guests more. Any suggestions, thanks!?!

Well as far as interacting with guests go that depends on what ride your on. If you are on a ride like Sky ride you have exactly 9 seconds to talk to a guest. It just depends on what ride you are on. I have never been a life guard and do not know much about it, but i highly recommend working rides. I would say either way you will have a fun summer.

Personally, the time or two I had to do the lifeguard gig I found it painfully boring, but plenty of people love the job. I will say that the Soak City/Challenge Park supervisors are pretty cool to work for. My understanding is that most lifeguard positions are meant for watching the water and not talking to guests, unless it's for conveying safety instructions. Guest interaction on rides usually varies depending on the ride and position. I'd say most rides have at least one position where you may have an extended amount of time to interact with guests. Paddlewheel Captain is easily the most interactive position in rides. Ripcord also gives you quite a bit of time one on one with guests.

Ive been a ride host for going on 4 years now, and I work at Kalahari now as a lifeguard. I liked the lifeguard thing at first, but it does get boring at times. Like he said above me, lifeguards are not to talk to guests in position if they don't have to, its more of scanning your water. Plus you don't get to talk to your fellow workers like you would on a ride. I would suggest ride host for sure.

Well since you have spent some time life guarding, then you know a little bit about the job. But working in a large water park is a lot better than a small community pool. It can be boring on those slow days just as any job at the park can be. But on a busy day, you will be getting your workout with rescues. There are also plenty of positions in Soak City where you do have a lot of guest interaction as well. Already being a lifeguard you know how rewarding it can be. Pulling a child out of the wave pool because he wondered into the deep-end is a lot more rewarding than putting a lose article into the bin for a guest.;)

Also think about in Rides, you (for the most part) are on your ride all summer. In the water park, you are not on the same slide/pool all summer but rather all over the water park. That way you are never bored of the same position. If you enjoy the sun and the beach, then you would love the Beach crew. It is a lot of fun working out on the beach all summer.

If you want more info, you can message me.

But if I were you , I would pick life guarding. Because if you still wanted to do rides, you could pick up extra hours at Rip Cord.

99er said:
. Pulling a child out of the wave pool because he wondered into the deep-end is a lot more rewarding than putting a lose article into the bin for a guest.;)

First of all technically ride ops arent allowed to touch a guests loose articles because then we can be held responsible for them. And also, its rewarding in a different way. Instead of pulling someone from the deep end your job as a ride host is to make sure the guest leaves smiling. Both are very rewarding in very different ways.

I knew it wouldn't be long for someone to respond.

You are correct, they are rewarding in VERY different ways. But I'll add that lifeguards as well have to make sure guests leave with a smile. Every employee is empowered to do so.

As for the lose articles, I figured that was the rule. But its a rule that the Supervisors do not enforce very much because you can see employees taking care of putting guest articles into bins all of the time. Most notable on Maverick and Mantis.

Thanks everyone! You all were very convincing and now I'm even more confused :p! Hopefully I'll decide within the next week or so.

i've never been a life guard, but working ttd last summer was a really fun experience. you can't have fun spieling being a life guard! i know it's only one advantage that i've listed, but everyone else hit the nail on the head. i would do something different that you're not used to, always try something new out- and contrary to what the other person said- you CAN change rides if you go to your sups & manager. if there's a good enough reason behind it, or if you're just unhappy... they are pretty good about handling the situation.

KaRiBaBiE said: and contrary to what the other person said- you CAN change rides if you go to your sups & manager. if there's a good enough reason behind it

And that is why I said "for the most part". Because still, you are on your ride unless they move you or you go ask.

One thing I will never understand is when people who have NEVER been a ride host THINK they know more than us....

RIDE HOST FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

maybe drop the mic on the estop..

Oh yeah, must have slipped my mind in all the nothing we do 6 days a week, 14 hrs a day...

CJ said:
One thing I will never understand is when people who have NEVER been a ride host THINK they know more than us....

Funny you say that because I was a Ride Host at Cedar Point. I worked for the company 10 years before moving to another park as an Operations Manager.

So if that was meant for me, Id say I probably know more than you.

It wasn't directed at anyone specific, just in general. 10 years as a ride host and never got moved to sup?

Oh come on! That post was directed at me and you know it! You said it because I was taking the side of Lifeguards and knocking on the position of Ride Host a little bit. It's cool dude, I get it. You're just sticking up for Ride Hosts.

And read my post again, I didn't say I was a Ride Host for ten years. I did move up to Supervisor, pretty quick too.

Just to jump in on this, 99er has held a plethora (yes, I said plethora) of positions at CP, up to and including supervisor.

As far as what I'd rather do, I'd rather work at RipCord. Nothing beats Skycoaster work, but I'm terribly biased after doing it for 3 years. I did one day of "lifeguarding" in Soak City and wanted to drown myself. Operating regular rides and coasters is fun, but Skycoasters are the way to go.

RaceRinger said:
I did one day of "lifeguarding" in Soak City and wanted to drown myself.

bahaha! that would be me... :P

RaceRinger said: I did one day of "lifeguarding" in Soak City and wanted to drown myself.

To be fair, what you and Ralph did was not Lifeguarding. You stood at the top of a slide and dispatched rafts/riders.