The past few months have seen several surfer deaths in San Diego County — including La Jolla local, Ted “Shred” Smith at Windansea Beach — due to sudden cardiac arrest in the water. In response to the recent tragedies, San Diego Project Heartbeat has teamed up with Bird’s Surf Shed to offer free basic CPR and AED (automatic electronic defibrillator) training. The surf shop will host a clinic — taught by volunteer San Diego EMTs, paramedics and lifeguards — designed to save lives through education on Jan. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. Ryan Levinson, an EMT and CPR instructor for Project Heartbeat said the clinic will cover “just the basics.” “It will give people enough knowledge to provide [CPR and operate an AED if needed],” he said. It will not, however, offer CPR certification. “The No. 1 thing that saves lives is early CPR and early defibrillation,” Levinson said. “People don’t understand how easy it is to learn CPR. The very basics would be the difference between saving someone’s life or not.” The training will focus on how to do compressions correctly in an effort to get oxygen back to the brain. Levinson said mouth-to-mouth is no longer a part of CPR, hence the focus on proper chest compressions. It is important to note that cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time, regardless of one’s physical condition, Levinson said. The surfers who died during the holiday season were veteran surfers, not newcomers to the sport. Ron Fay, a 56-year-old University City surfer who described himself as “concerned, cautious and prepared,” said that though there are obvious dangers lurking in ocean waters, it is important to be aware of all the risks involved. “My biggest concern in the water is getting eaten by a shark,” he said. “However, I try to keep in excellent shape at 56 because of the [health/cardiac risks].” AEDs are available at each lifeguard stand and at public buildings, as well as at some restaurants. The training will demonstrate the proper use of the same kind of AEDs that lifeguards are equipped with. According to Project Heartbeat’s website, the organization focuses on improving the “survivability of sudden cardiac-arrest victims in San Diego by placing AEDs everywhere a life can be saved by making AEDs as accessible as fire extinguishers in any and all public and private arenas.” The event is open to surfers and non-surfers alike. RSVPs are requested at Bird’s Surf SHED via Facebook or phone. “Regarding chest compressions and CPR, even if you don’t come [to this event], doing something is better than nothing,” Levinson said. Qué: Free opportunity for surfers and the public to learn basic CPR/AED skills Donde: Bird’s Surf Shed, 1091 West Morena Blvd. Cuando: Friday, Jan. 27 6 to 8 p.m. RSVP: www.facebook.com/BirdsSurfShed or (619) 276-2473