by john dooling
It's beach season once again and we're all heading out to the shore for fun, surf, and great times with friends and family. We may be heading out to the beach to have a good time, but every year there are a group of men and women that dedicate their time and sacrifice their summers to ensure the safety of the patrons of Jacksonville Beach. These are the lifeguards that we see perched on their red towers watching the scene to make sure that everything is kosher. Ever had the urge to serve? If you have the moxy, here's how you can tryout.
If you're thinking you can just go in and say, "Hey, I wanna be the David Hasslehoff of my block," then you've got another thing coming. This ain't no cakewalk. The lifeguards in our town are sheer professionals and have to become experts in USLA Lifeguard Standards, CPR, First Aid, and even Emergency Response by the Red Cross.
If you are between the ages of 16 and 60 you can tryout to become a member of the Corp. There are 2 sessions every year, a winter session and a summer session, in which the hopefuls attend a 12-week recruit class. The winter session just ended and the graduates are already out saving lives as you read this. The summer session begins May 12th and will end at about the 4th of July.
Sign up on their website at redcrosslifeguards.org or call them at (904) 249-9141. You can also stop by their headquarters and speak to them personally. They are located at 2 Ocean Front in Jacksonville Beach across from Joe's Crab Shack. You'll see the big white building with American Red Cross scrolled across the front in red. They'll be able to provide you with any information you need.
Lifeguarding is a full time job that is needed Monday through Saturday. However, you can volunteer your time to work on Sundays and holidays. Careers are available too. And don't forget that there are also Lifeguard Competitions so you can prove that you are the King of the Beach. It's all in good fun because the main goal is to save lives.
This is a great opportunity to give back to the community and make sure that everyone is enjoying themselves safely while you get the best tan of any of your friends. It is also a great way to learn safety measures that may help you with a variety of situations that could arise at any time. Your kids can get in on the act too!
Every summer the Jax Beach Lifeguards run Junior Guard Camps to teach children the importance of beach safety and to show them the fun recreational activities that the coast has to offer. There are four 1-week camp sessions available every summer for children in two age groups.
The first group is for children ages 9 to 12 and the second is for older kids from 12 to 15. This is a fantastic way to get your kids interested in First Aid and CPR, as well as exercise and living a healthy lifestyle. In addition to the safety courses, there are fun activities such as surfing, beach runs, and a Family Fun Day. The camps are $125, and they are run by Coach Paul who has dedicated his life to lifeguarding and teaching children the importance of safety.
by Shaun Robbins
Last weeks swell pumped in some solid waves ranging from waist to overhead, giving everyone who wanted it some quality water time. Everywhere you looked some one was in a tube, launching off a lip, or carving the face of a wave. All in all it was a solid swell that had something for everyone to enjoy. The ocean is calming down now, but we should be left with some small but longboardable waves for this weekend. Keep an eye to the north, because there is something that might be pushing into the Carolinas mid week. This most likely won't make it down to us, but if we are lucky it will extend down to us and give us some more surf late in the week. But don't take my weekly word for it, call or log onto your local report daily to find out what the present conditions are for your favorite break.
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