Work’s a Beach : Lifeguards May Look Laid-Back, But They’re Out There Saving Lives

Hours before blankets, towels and revelers are dotting the beach, John Rodgers sprints up a long, winding ladder to his perch overlooking the waves lapping San Buenaventura State Beach.

He starts the shift by scanning his quarter-mile section of beach, watching for rip currents along the shore that can suck people out to sea. As bathers arrive, he’s constantly on the lookout for drowning swimmers or people straying too close to the jetties.

Rodgers, 23, and the other 75 lifeguards who work in Ventura County have a heavy responsibility, but it is a job they would not trade for any other career.

“You know that bumper sticker that says, ‘Life’s a beach’? Well, that’s my mentality,” said Rodgers, a seasonal lifeguard for four years. “The thought of sitting in a chair pushing a pencil is not my idea of a livelihood.”

Rodgers and the 44 other lifeguards at state beaches in Ventura County get to work on their tans and ogle bikini-clad bathers, but their job is not all fun in the sun.

So far this year, lifeguards have saved close to 100 lives, with nearly 60 of the rescues taking place at San Buenaventura State Beach, the most popular state-guarded beach in the county, said Steve White, chief of lifeguards for the area’s state beaches.

Lifeguards who work for the state Department of Parks and Recreation monitor four state beaches in the area and serve an estimated 3 million people each year. The other beaches are Emma Wood, McGrath and Carpinteria. The state also provides service for Marina Cove Beach, located in the gulf of the Ventura Harbor, White said.

Most of the 45 lifeguards are seasonal employees, working during the peak periods between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During the non-peak months, two to three lifeguards may cover all the state beaches throughout the county, White said.

In addition to the state lifeguards, the city of Port Hueneme hires 15 lifeguards each summer to cover the two-mile stretch of sand at Beach Park, said Erik Bear, head of lifeguards for Port Hueneme.

The county employs 15 lifeguards to cover its beaches at Silver Strand and Hollywood- by-the-Sea, said chief lifeguard Tyler Gold.

State lifeguards will be hired by the city of Ventura to cover the Ventura Pier city beach next year, White said.

Despite the stress of their job, lifeguards like Rodgers sometimes find themselves being stereotyped like the fictional characters in the television series “Baywatch.”

“I’m sure there are people that think we just sit in the tower and just goof around,” Rodgers said. “That’s a fallacy. You’re responsible for every person on the beach and if they get hurt, it’s your hide.”

White acknowledged that lifeguards do spend most of their time sitting down, but said the job can be arduous because of the amount of concentration required to keep track of hundreds of beach-goers.

“It requires a lot of concentration to watch hundreds of people and be able to decide if they need assistance,” said White, a lifeguard for 23 years. “The people that generally work here are high-caliber athletes, fairly aggressive and high achievers.”

White said state lifeguards are recovering nicely from budget reductions in 1992, when they were forced to slice 10% from their budget and curtail some services.

Since the late 1970s, state lifeguards had provided service to less-frequented beaches like Marina Park Beach in Ventura. But cutbacks eliminated service there altogether.

Lifeguards were also forced last year to work shorter hours--36 per week instead of 40. But since lifeguard officials are not expecting major cuts from the state this year, the hours have been boosted up to 39 per week, White said. Beginning lifeguards earn $10.05 per hour. Veterans earn more than $12 hourly.

Saugus resident George Roberts, who spent some time relaxing at San Buenaventura State Beach this week, said he was once saved by a lifeguard at Zuma Beach.

“Many of the people who come out to the beach are not aware of what the ocean is really like,” Roberts said. “You may need someone to assist them.”

Lifeguards must have strong eyesight to spot people in trouble. They have to be strong enough swimmers to overcome ocean currents. And they must be proficient in applying first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, White said.

New candidates for lifeguard positions are required each year to swim 1,000 yards in 20 minutes or less and complete a run-swim-run test before being considered for the regional training camp in Huntington Beach, White said.

There, potential lifeguards spend six days performing mock rescues and taking classes in first aid and CPR. State beach officials then hire the top people from the program. Typically, White hires six to eight new lifeguards each year, but he hired 12 this year.

“I like this job because it is very challenging,” said 20-year-old Scott Hazard, a rookie lifeguard at Buenaventura. “You’re responsible for everyone on the beach, so you have to be aware of what’s going on.”