You love'em or hate' em, you are one, you were one, your a lifer. Places that are unguarded or places that are overguarded. Just want to hear some opinions on the the topic.
To guard or not to guard. . . From my 59 years of experience, most beaches with guards tend to be overguarded in the early season, but fortunately in the course of the summer they generally learn their trade and their clientele well enough to become much more reasonable. The good news is they're there for the ones who really need them and when they need them. After guarded hours, it's surfers and spongers who are the primary guards. I know I've pulled out my share over the years, and I've never been a real lifeguard in the traditional sense of the word. It's a job and somebody has to do it or we'll be picking up bodies all along the beach all summer. That's nasty. FYI- last I heard, OCM was paying guards $14 per hour, and they need at least 143 to cover 9 miles of beach, plus support staff. Cha Ching!
a new thread... from a point you never proved...like i said, "LET IT GO!" WHO CARES.........................
ok, not proving any points here, just asking a general question about peoples opinion. There is hundreds of threads on here I do not have any interest in but I dont go and write "WHO CARES??" on it. Maybe some people do maybe no one does, but who the f are you to determine that? Oh yeah thats right your the lifeguard buttin in everyone elses business. Why dont you throw in some of your "old salt" stories in here, about the big rescue back in 2002 or, the monster rip that pulled everyone out, or some overdramatized first aid... Mdsurfer had valid points and there is not doubt a definite need for guards...
About 10 years ago in OCMD during a massive swell in early Sept, a kid got caught in a rip and 2 guards flat out refused to go in for her. My and a buddy, who was an ex guard, got her out. between the kids dad and my buddy, those 2 guards were lucky to get off the beach unscathed. I pretty much hate guards except for the very few cool ones.
i do not like lifeguards they kick surfers and bodyboarders out everywhere, like once me and my friend were surfing, my friend as bodyboarding, and we got kicked off of seaview then we went next to seven president and the life guard told my friend,"okay, you have to give me your fins" and my friend said "F*&K you" then we had to go home. they are a pain in th A*%, why cant they just let us be
hah yeah. i always just ask the guards where i can surf and if it is not on their beach they tell me where i can find open ones. doesn't hurt asking
Never really had a problem with guards, and I always make it a point to go shoot it with them on a daily. Most that I've met surf... well. I think that guarding fits into the equation of being a waterman, and I definately plan to do it sometime. Anyway, show respect, because alot of them are us.
Like stated in the previous post, most lifeguards are surfers, and usually pretty good ones because of the incredible shape they are in. One life guard saved me (indirectly) when one of my relatives went running to the lifeguard and asked him to get me out of the water because it was foggy! The guard just said "it's nothing we wouldn't have done when we were kids. I know him, he's a fine swimmer, let him be." It was a releif because it saved me from having my ear chewed off, and it gave my relative a reality check that I'm not crazy, she's just wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too overprotective. Mom's are good for some things but this definitely ain't one of em.
dont get me wrong i like most all guards but one story i have of them is when i was in a sub shop in south bethany.. one was a middlesex guard the other south bethany.. the middlesex guy was telling a story of how he saved some 16 year old girl and the next day she brought him brownies and also he said she 'totally wanted him' and the south bethany guard said to bad she isnt a little older after hearing her age and the middlesex guy said i think im gonna go for it state law for consent in delaware is only 16 (saying it with an ignorant ohh yea at the end like he was the man).. and after a little more of them chatting it came out that the middlesex guard was 26.. a little creepy i think (of what i see it seems to be a bit of a trend with guards going for too young of groupie girls) anyone else see or hear of this stuff going on?
this summer i was at the beach when zero people were within at least 500 yards of me and the guards still would not let me surf there.
Guards kick you out because if they don't they get fired. Whether there is someone around you or not, if its not a surfing zone its not a surfing zone. That being said. If its gonna rain, and the guards have to sit on the stands with no one in the water, they'll let you surf wherever. It all depends on the crowd... aka the whether, during the summer. I've seen guards rescue surfers too, so "but I surf" isn't a legit reason not to have guards. **** happens you might need help one day. Guards are chill people, most of them surf/bodyboard. And if it wasn't for the rules set from the boss, you'd be surfing wherever.
Only once.. Only once made a rescue of a surfer... Arrived at the beach, saw a hispanic male paddling very poorly in on a surfboard directly against the talbot street rip. (OC). Watched in bemusement/bewilderment for quite some time. Finally decided to go check the situation out. Quickly realized the guy was clueless. pulled him out of rip, and he got washed in by wave. Once on beach, and asked where he got the surfboard from... dropped the board and started running like crazy. go figure. Keep your eyes on your fries!
Early season-late season in OCMD we got "modified beaches" when there's not a bunch of dummies in the water, so they let you ride a surfboard, just gotta ask. But I ride all day cause they can't say anything about a bodyboard. Just gotta dodge kooky tourons.
