Photos and Text by Eric Heinz
Click Photos to Enlarge
Through a test of endurance, people came to tryout for a seasonal position with the San Clemente Marine Safety Division lifeguards. The first round examined the candidates’ physical toughness by having them run about 300 yards and back then swim around a buoy about half the distance to from the end of the beach to the end of San Clemente Pier and another run.
Breathing heavily after crossing the finish line, Tyler Bauer, one of the prospective lifeguards, said the tryout was enduring but he knew he could get through it. Bauer had just made it through the first test, just the swim, and had completed the second portion.
“It was very difficult with the cold water and it was just…I’m so out of breath right now,” Bauer said. “I knew I was going to finish but I didn’t know where I would finish.”
According to the Surfline’s app, the surf was about 3 to 5 feet high on average.
Lifeguards who are selected from the second physical tryout go through an interview process, and those who are further selected will enter the training program. The final lifeguards are chosen after the final exams in a few weeks.
Discussion about this post