Being A Lifeguard Is No Easy Summer Job

Cooper and Luke

Can there be a better summer job than lifeguarding on an ocean beach at the Jersey Shore?  You get a great tan, are outside all the time, get to flirt with girls and boys and enjoy the sounds and smells of the ocean.  Plus with most beaches encouraging morning work-outs it helps you get in shape.

All of those are true to some extent but lifeguarding may be among the most misunderstood jobs you can have.  For example:

*You can get a great tan but have to be careful not to get too much direct exposure from the sun.

*Yes you are outside but sitting on that tower on days with little or no breeze can wear on you.  During this heat wave most of us look forward to getting back into the air conditioning…they don’t have that option.

*On busy beaches flirting takes a back-seat to watching the water which is the #1 focus.  Those swimmers are your responsibility and it’s a big one.

The main job of a lifeguard is not to rescue swimmers but rather prevent them from getting in trouble.  That’s why when they blow their whistle to move you in or over it’s because they know where trouble spots may be.  Whether it’s a rip or hole you can’t see it but they can and the idea is to keep you safe.  Of course when a swimmer or swimmers get in trouble then lifeguards are there to get you back to shore safely.  There is a reason why almost all drowning deaths at the Jersey Shore come when guards are off duty because during regular hours our beaches are incredibly safe thanks to the men and women who do much more than get a nice tan.

Lifeguarding is a very noble profession whether it’s something someone does for one year or makes it a second career by coming back to the beach each and every summer.  Our beaches would not be the same without them

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