Areas Most Effected By The Lifeguard Shortage

by Cody George, LIFEGUARD TIMES

While most lifeguards find their work to be seasonal, there are aquatic facilities that are desperate to keep an adequate amount of lifeguards on staff throughout the entire year. A majority of younger lifeguards are either in school or have just graduated, which causes a rift in lifeguard employment for several reasons.

When lifeguards are in school, they are unable to work full time at facilities that need them most — such as YMCA’s, beaches, country clubs, etc. Having just graduated, this causes an empty space in academic aquatic programs in which the school may find themselves short handed.

Most lifeguards prefer the inside to working on the beach, where the intense sun and expansive territory may be overwhelming. This causes many beaches to be bereft of seasoned lifeguards.

An area that suffers the most from the lifeguard shortage would be the Midwest, where beaches are not as common and aquatic facilities are few. Without lifeguards, families may not feel safe letting their children swim at the beach or even in more smaller spaces such as athletic clubs.

As the number of lifeguards patrolling our beaches diminish, many patrons do not feel entirely safe getting into the water without a qualified lifeguard on duty.

Would you feel comfortable swimming when there are no lifeguards on duty?