IslandVibesIOP.com 14 played a huge role too.” Back then it was more about looking up to them than understanding what they actually did. A typical day starts long before the beach feels like the beach. Before umbrellas, before coolers, before families even begin deciding where to sit, the lifeguards are already working through a routine that doesn’t change much but matters every time. Stands are opened. Equipment gets checked. Everything is laid out and checked again. It sounds simple until you think about what it means if something doesn’t work later. Because later is when it matters. Then comes training. Every day. For about an hour in the morning, the team runs drills, practices rescues and works through scenarios. Even after that, during breaks, it doesn’t really stop. There’s still mixed-in training, conversations about technique, staying ready. That part surprises people the most, Boone said. “People think we don’t do much,” he said. “But we’re constantly training, constantly preparing.” The thing most beachgoers never see is how much of the job is about preventing anything from happening in the first place. Most good lifeguarding doesn’t look like anything at all from the beach. A conversation that keeps someone out of a dangerous area. A If you’ve ever spent time at the beach, you’ve probably noticed the lifeguards before anything else. Up in the stand. Watching the water. Not saying much. From a distance, it can look like the kind of job where not a lot is happening. Gary Boone hears that assumption often. Boone, a member of The Citadel’s Class of 2027, has been working ocean rescue for six seasons now – three years as a lifeguard and three as a supervisor. Long enough that the beach feels familiar in a way most people don’t really understand unless they’ve been part of it day after day. He didn’t exactly stumble into it either. It started earlier, when he was younger and paying attention to the lifeguards he saw every summer. “I was inspired by some of my friends’ older brothers who were lifeguards,” Boone said. “The Junior Lifeguard program FEATURE HOW TO SAVE A LIFE: Applying and training to become a lifeguard The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission opens lifeguarding jobs months in advance. Anyone interested in working as a lifeguard next summer can apply in early 2027 at ccprc.com/jobs. Training is held in the spring/early summer. They also offer a Junior Lifeguard summer program at Isle of Palms County Park, which is similar to a summer camp where kids spend their day with lifeguards and learn about their jobs and the basics of aquatic rescue. Lessons and activities include environmental awareness, first aid, ocean-proofing, physical training, rescue equipment, teamwork and waterpark visits. For more info on that program and a list of the upcoming sessions (openings are still available), visit ccprc.com/jobs/lifeguards-aquatic-safety. OCEAN RESCUE LIFEGUARD REQUIREMENTS • Must be 16 years old • Must complete an interview with management staff • Must complete a physical fitness test to include, but not limited to: -500 meters (550 yards) swim test in nine minutes (pool) or 10 minutes (open water) - 1-mile run in 7:45 (track) or eight minutes (beach) • Must pass a drug test • Must complete all scheduled pre-season trainings, including Rookie School for first-year Ocean Rescue Lifeguards and Surf School for all Ocean Rescue Lifeguards • Must submit a completed CCPRC Physician’s Certificate (PDF) prior to attending lifeguard training DAY IN THE LIFE OF A LIFEGUARD The sentries keeping you safe By Cari Lawson Gary Boone Continued on Page 15. Eight a.m. daily shift routine.
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