Long Island Swimmers Bring Skills to State Beaches as Lifeguards

Photo Courtesy: Kayleigh Toth

By Ryan Klages, Swimming World College Intern.

As another school year comes to an end and the summer season kicks off, people from all ends of the country will be making their way back to the beach. In Long Island, New York, the members of the Jones Beach Lifeguard Corps head back to work. The organization is made up of crew of over 500 lifeguards, and they protect the patrons of the eight different beaches across the Long Island region. A majority of the lifeguards are comprised of competitive swimmers who contribute their talents and abilities toward keeping people safe over the summer vacation.

First Summer On Stand

Photo Courtesy: Ryan Klages

Nathan DeGuzman finished his first year with the JBLC last summer and raves about his time there: “My first year as a lifeguard at Jones Beach was truly and experience that I will never forget. Swimming is a sport that has been a part of my life since I was six years old. Becoming a lifeguard allowed me to put my swimming skills to the test.” DeGuzman completed his senior year at Chaminade High School before becoming a lifeguard for the summer. He swam for his high school’s varsity swim team, where he won two league championships.

DeGuzman put those skills to the test at many points over the season. One afternoon during the summer, he sat on stand to actively guard patrons. “One patron had leaped off the diving board and immediately began to sink after attempting two strokes,” DeGuzman recalled. He blew his whistle to notify the other guards and jumped into the pool to make the rescue. “After bringing him to safety, he thanked me in the most gracious manner.”

DeGuzman credits the friendliness of the work environment towards his decision to return to the beach again next summer.

Competition Beyond the Blocks

Photo Courtesy: Ryan Klages

The spirit of competition burns bright in the JBLC. Once swimmers graduate and retire from the pool, the Jones Beach Lifeguard Corps offers an athletic and competitive outlet. The lifeguards regularly compete at local and national competitions against some of the most talented lifeguards across the globe. Ultimately, the most anticipated competition comes toward the end of the season – the JBLC Inter-Beach Races. Beach crews compete against each other in a two-day series of 12 events, including the following: kayak and paddle races, pool and ocean swims, and rescue relays. Undoubtedly, the most contested and competitive event is called Beach Flags.

Beach Flags is an event of skill, speed and timing. Competitors start on their stomach in the sand with arms crossed and hands folded on top of each other. The official signals the start, and the competitors place their chin onto their hands. Once the whistle blows, it’s an all-out sprint to capture the flag or stick 20 meters away. Beach Flags has many different rounds as competitors are eliminated musical-chairs style. Ultimately, as the competition is eliminated one by one, so too are the flags taken out until a champion is crowned.

Megan Slattery, a Bayport Native and Princeton Tiger, knows firsthand the chaos involved with the game. As a matter of fact, she competes in her fair share of Beach Flags competitions. “Beach Flags is one of the most intense games out there,” Slattery says. “One wrong move, and it’s game over.” Coupled with the speed and intensity of the game, it is not uncommon for competitors to run into each other, leaving lumps and bumps. As a result, hitting heads is a regular occurrence for players diving for the same flag, leading to Slattery’s warning, “Beach Flags is not for the faint of heart.”

Ultimately, the swimmers who choose to become lifeguards of the Jones Beach Lifeguard Corps are at the beach to protect and serve the patrons of the the Long Island beaches. They possess the required talent and ability to keep beach-goers safe from the potential hazards they may encounter.

While lifeguarding is often seen as a relaxing profession, for the Jones Beach lifeguards, it is a calling that few are able to answer. For them, it is an opportunity to use their skills in swimming away from the pool towards a greater cause.

Do you have what it takes to compete with these lifeguards?

-All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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Steve Levy

4 years ago

Good for you Ryan. I sat on the stands at Field 6 for parts of 34 Summers, rescued thousands and made several lifetimes of friends. We’ve also had quite a few Oly Trials qualifiers and NCAA All-Americans; heck, we’ve even had Jones Beach lifeguards become Navy Seals after hanging up their whistles.

Following the line at the bottom of the pool is one kind of swimmer; jumping into angry surf to rescue people in distress puts all those long Saturday morning sets into a wonderful perspective.