City to hold lifeguard tryouts

Kenneth Ma

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The city will hold a tryout Sunday to recruit up to

15 seasonal lifeguards for the summer.

“There aren’t too many summer jobs where there is an opportunity to save

a life,” said Lt. Kyle Lindo, a marine safety official with the city. “If

you want a relaxing summer job, this is not the place because you have a

lot of responsibilities.”

Lindo said up to 60 people are expected to attend the tryout, which

consists of three events -- a 1,000-yard swim around the Huntington Beach

pier, a 500-yard half-pier swim and a 1,500-yard run and pier swim

combination.

“It’s a pretty grueling tryout,” Lindo said.

After the one-day test, as many as 50 people will be selected to attend a

nine-day training course that will teach candidates ocean rescue

procedures, advanced first-aid skills, city beach ordinances, and city

lifeguard policies and procedures. The course also will include endurance

training, such as swimming and running.

After completing the course, candidates will be ranked on a priority list

for new hires. Lindo said the city plans to hire between 10 and 15

lifeguards for the busy summer season.

Typically, the city staffs about 130 seasonal lifeguards to patrol a 3

1/2-mile stretch of beach. The city beach, which has 23 towers, may get

up to 40,000 people on a hot summer day, Lindo said.

New hires will receive $175 for attending the training course and three

units of college credit from Golden West College. Seasonal lifeguards are

allowed to work up to 1,000 hours at $12.15 an hour.

In May, 15 people were hired from a pool of 65 candidates who attended a

tryout.

Sunday’s tryouts will begin at 8 a.m. at the city’s lifeguard

headquarters, 103 Pacific Coast Highway. For more information, call

536-5281.