Column: Lifeguards wear red suits and blue lips

The water is cold in the spring.

In Laguna Beach, the air can be 90 degrees in April, but the water is still cold — brain freeze cold. Achingly, throbbingly, numbingly cold.

And for the young lifeguards trying to swim their way into the elite summer program, there are no wetsuits.

There is no miracle heat shield that cocoons them as they swim 1,000 meters in less than 20 minutes, which means every stroke gives way to pain, numbness, despair and back to pain again.

Would they have it any other way? Not if they want to succeed.

“Cold water is part of it,” said Marine Safety Capt. Kai Bond, who knows that the water is not like in Hawaii, smelling of coconut and leis.

“When we have our training, historically, the water is not in the 70s,” he said, chuckling. “In a good year it will be in the mid-60s but this year, yeah, we were hovering in the high 50s.”

Not that he’s masochistic, but he’d rather the recruits learn in realistic conditions because ultimately, the training will save someone’s life. Besides, nature doesn’t stop for someone in need.

“Our conditions in the ocean are dynamic and we expect our employees to succeed in all conditions,” he said. “We want high-caliber people and part of being a high-caliber person is that they are able to withstand the elements and be strong in the ocean. Cold water is a part of it but it’s not the only thing. The wind is a factor, the surf is certainly a factor.”

You may wonder if there are ever times when the conditions are too gnarly for training.

“No,” Bond said.

And that’s why not everyone can be a lifeguard.

Out of about 100 applicants this year, 48 made it through training, both male and female. Now they wait to see how many of the existing summer lifeguards return. In an average year, Bond said there are usually about 35 final openings — sometimes more, sometimes less. He won’t know until right before summer. For more information about next year’s academy opportunities, visit the city’s Marine Safety website.

It should be stressed that the recruits are always in safe hands. Bond said there are strict safety measures while in the water, including multiple jet ski patrols and constant supervision.

“Part of what we do is put people in an environment where they are uncomfortable, and maybe they are a little bit out of their element,” he said. “So that when they get into that situation when it’s a rescue they will be able to have that experience. The idea is to challenge them and make it difficult.”

The training is not all about the water, however. There’s classroom time and overall communication training.

“We look for incredibly driven people who are good in the water, who are great athletes, who have incredible study habits because there is a medical component to our academy and then to wrap all that up: a good communicator,” he said. “If we have employees who can’t communicate, then we’re in trouble. Communication is a big deal for us.”

Bond admitted that kids growing up in or near Laguna sometimes have an edge because they are simply great watermen. They’ve surfed or skimmed from an early age and are absolutely skilled in the water.

But that doesn’t always mean they would make good lifeguards.

“This year we had a couple kids from Laguna who I had a feeling would do well because I saw them grow up. I knew that they would do well in the water,” he said. “But we don’t know if they’re good students. Another big part of it is being able to take direction and learn.”

A continuing challenge for kids in this age range, 16-19, is clear verbal communication.

In other words, young lifeguards can’t Snapchat their way out of trouble.

“Communication for them sometimes is new,” Bond said. “It’s a new skill that they have to develop. It’s fun to see them grow that way.”

Whatever Laguna is doing is working. Nowhere is it more popular to wear red.

“We had a great recruitment,” Bond said. “Where other departments up and down Orange County saw lower numbers, we saw higher numbers. Not only did we have the numbers but the competition for this training was at a very high level. In fact, it was probably the best I’ve seen in many years, which means we’re going to have excellent lifeguards out on our beaches this summer.”

For those new lifeguards, it’s unclear how long it will take for the goosebumps to leave them or the shivering to stop or the dull blue pallor to retreat, but you can bet from day one they will wear a smile.

They’ve earned it.

DAVID HANSEN is a writer and Laguna Beach resident. He can be reached at hansen.dave@gmail.com.