Turning the tide

Ellen McCarty

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Danielle Miller wants to be a lifeguard when

she grows up, and now her dream is one stroke closer to reality.

The 11-year-old graduated Aug. 12 with other members of her C-level

Junior Lifeguard Program after a summer of hard work and play.

“My brother did it last year and said it was fun,” she said. “He was

right. It’s great to know you’re helping people.”

In 1974, there were only two girls in the Junior Lifeguard Program with

148 boys, said Dave Simcox, the program’s coordinator for the past 25

years. This summer, girls made up more than half of the 973 junior

guards, and they’re not shy.

“They’ve taken over,” Simcox said. “It’s one of the best things that’s

ever happened to the program. I get in trouble when I say this, but in

the younger groups, the girls tend to run and swim faster than the guys.”

Now there’s about two dozen female lifeguards among the 100 employees

working in the towers, but that’s bound to change as the lifeguard

shortage increases and more athletic young women try out for the

positions, he said.

“It took a while for the girls’ mind set to catch up,” he said. “Now all

of the girls out there say they want to be lifeguards, and they believe

in their abilities. In the 1970s, they questioned whether they could

compete with the guys.”

When the program started back in 1964, Simcox said it was more of a good

old boys’ club, and there was a lot of goofing around. When the girls hit

the sand, all that changed, he said.

“It became much more competitive. The boys wanted to prove themselves to

the girls,” he said. “Now they just enjoy each other’s company. I don’t

see any gender rivalries among the instructors or the kids.”

The program’s evolution came as a surprise to Simcox, who said he never

expected girls to make up more than one-third of the junior lifeguards,

much less become full-time employees.

“I wish it was my idea [to include girls], but it wasn’t,” he said. “They

bring a maturity, creativity and sensitivity to the job.”

Although female lifeguards need to be physically stronger, because a

120-pound body will be pushed further off-course by a wave than a

180-pound body, they bring other skills to the job that make them equal

or better lifeguards, he said.

“If you are able to spot and react to a struggling swimmer one minute

earlier than someone else, you’re a better lifeguard,” he said. “Even if

the other person may swim faster and be physically stronger than you,

you’ll reach the victim first. That’s what counts.”

As much as 60% of the lifeguard staff is recruited from the Junior

Lifeguard Program, Marine Safety Lt. Steve Davidson said.

“They become familiar with the ocean and first aid training and they can

recognize rip currents,” he said. “It also gives them a sense of

responsibility, which is necessary for a job as serious as this one.”

The eight-week Junior Lifeguard Program costs $290, which includes trips,

a uniform and four hours of daily training in basic first aid and ocean

skills, Simcox said.

The program teaches kids to discover and develop their own unique skills,

whether they are male or female, and consequently they respect each

other, Simcox said.

Chad Miller said he was surprised to discover his own prowess this

summer.

“I didn’t think I’d like it because I’m normally lazy at home,” the

10-year-old said. “But I did a lot of push-ups and running, and now I’m

skinnier than my sister. The only time it was really hard was when I

thought I wouldn’t be able to make it [around the pier].”

Swimming around the pier, jumping off speeding boats and cleaning the

Lifeguard Headquarters all give the kids discipline and a mechanism to

face their fears -- something that’s necessary for their success, Simcox

said.

“It’s great that girls now have the same opportunities as the guys

because, for a long time, we held back our girls,” he said. “But the one

thing I miss about the old days is the structure. We’re afraid to

structure our kids nowadays.”

All of the kids must say “Yes, ma’am,” and “Yes, sir” and wear uniforms.

By creating uniformity, Simcox said, the kids are more likely to accept

each other as equals. The kids, decked out in red suits and sun-bleached

hair, said they don’t mind the strict atmosphere, even when they have to

clean.

“You get to go into the Lifeguard Headquarters and do things you wouldn’t

normally get to do,” Chad said. “A lot of people think it’s torture

because you do a lot of hard stuff, but it gives you a good feeling of

accomplishment.”

For the kids, it’s not so much about saving lives, as it is about

improving the quality of their own.

“I’m going to miss it a lot,” Chris Hurtado, 10, said. “It’s really fun

to see my friends, my instructors and come to the beach every day.”