San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Lifeguard Division and San Diego Police held a joint press conference this month outside lifeguard headquarters to offer beach-and-bay safety tips for spring break.
“The weather’s getting warmer, the beaches are beautiful as always, and with COVID restrictions lifted we’re expecting a lot more people to come out,” said SDPD Capt. Scott Wahl of Northern Division. “This is just the beginning of the spring and summer season, spring break is the kick-off. We will have additional police officers out in all the beach areas. We want to make sure it’s safe for everybody, and we’re going to do our part to make sure that it is.”
Noting “laws are in place to help keep everybody safe,” Wahl said police want to remind people that “there is still an alcohol ban on the beaches and no alcohol is allowed in cups, cans, or glass.”
Added Wahl about fire pits and boats: “Bonfires are only legal inside designated concrete bonfire rings. There are a lot of companies out there that want to sell bonfire equipment including bonfire rings: Those are illegal. We also see a lot of illegal boat rentals, jet skis, types of equipment that are illegal. One rule of thumb, if you’re going to an actual brick-and-mortar store to rent a boat or out on a boat dock, that most likely is going to be a legal establishment.”
With more than 40 miles of oceanfront and bay shoreline to patrol throughout the City, SDFD lifeguards help keep an average of 17 million visitors safe and conduct an estimated 7,000 rescues at local beaches each year. Additionally, lifeguards manage cliff, scuba, and swift water rescues, enforce boating safety regulations and respond to emergencies involving seafaring vessels and other watercraft.
“We staff up whenever crowds come and all we want is a safe 10 days of spring break,” pointed out lifeguard chief James Gartland, offering these beach safety tips: “Always swim with a lifeguard. When you come to the beach, just check in with the lifeguard. All day long they are moving people in and out of rip currents, out of areas of hazard.”
Gartland counseled people without strong ocean swimming skills to wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket or stay waist-deep in the surf.
Regarding Mission Bay, Gartland said: “Safety out there is paramount. We’re definitely out there making sure people (boaters) keep their speed at a proper level in proper areas. We also ask that, whatever you pack into the beach, you pack out. Listen to what lifeguards are telling you to do. We are trained observers and we can see where the rip currents are. We know you’re in danger before you’re in danger.”
Marine safety lifeguard Lt. Lonnie Stephens cautioned newcomers to surfing who are in town that the best way for them to learn how is to take courses from accredited, licensed local surf schools.
“Make sure you’re engaging in business with a permitted concessionaire that’s been vetted through the City,” Stephens said adding those taking surf lessons should ask a prospective surf company about their instructor’s certifications, and make sure they have their business permit.
Stephens reiterated that it’s very important to “always swim near a lifeguard in a guarded area. When you’re not in a guarded area, lifeguards cannot observe you and prevent any of the hazards you might be in, such as rip currents.”
Stephens also suggested that water users do the “stingray shuffle,” moving their feet along the shore rather than stepping, in order to avoid getting painfully stung.
“Our first priority is that everyone is educated and understands what the rules are,” concluded SDPD’s Wahl. “We want to make sure that people are doing their part to stay safe.”
