Overview
The San Diego Lifeguard Service provides public safety to users of San Diego's coastline and ocean waterways from Point Loma to La Jolla. Beach areas include Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Wind-n-Sea, the Children's Pool, La Jolla Cove, La Jolla Shores, Black's Beach, and Mission Bay.
San Diego lifeguard history dates back to 1917. Today there are over 230 San Diego lifeguards, making this one of the largest professional lifeguard services in the United States. Of these, 70 work full time, year round. The San Diego Lifeguard Service provides excellent employment opportunities. In addition, our Junior Lifeguard Program, aimed at youths from 9 to 17 years of age, is an extremely popular program conducted each summer with an attendance exceeding 500.
San Diego lifeguards are on duty 24 hours a day. Lifeguard responsibilities include water rescue of swimmers and surfers, boater rescue up to three miles offshore, boat fire suppression, coastal cliff rescue, underwater search and rescue, missing persons, and related emergencies. San Diego lifeguards also handle enforcement of laws and regulations, primarily related to beach and water use, through citation and arrest. Annual statistical data tracks the volume of rescue and enforcement activity. The Lifeguard Service utilizes a wide variety of rescue equipment to handle these responsibilities.
The lifeguard Boating Safety Unit provides harbor patrol and ocean rescue services for boaters. Lifeguards assigned to this unit enforce boating regulations and handle issuance of boat mooring permits and long-term boat beaching permits.
During periods of flooding, the lifeguard River Rescue Team handles rescues of persons Citywide. The Dive Rescue Team handles underwater search and recovery Citywide.
In emergencies, San Diego lifeguards can be contacted by dialing 9-1-1. Informational telephone numbers include a recorded beach and surf report updated several times each day.
San Diego Lifeguard Service administration includes a Lifeguard Chief, four Lieutenants, ten Sergeants, and an office staff of four.
The United States Lifesaving Association has certified the San Diego Lifeguard Service as meeting its recommended guidelines and standards for advanced lifeguard agencies.
The San Diego Lifeguard Service has made every effort to ensure that the information contained herein is accurate at the time of its posting; however, we are not responsible for any inadvertent inaccuracies which may exist.
