Lifeguard tryout season starts

If you’re looking for a gig on the beach, lifeguard tryouts for this summer season are under way starting this weekend.“We always hope we have a good turnout, so we can be selective and hire the most qualified candidates,” Huntington Beach Marine Safety Lt. Mike Baumgartner said.

At the Huntington city tryouts, anywhere from 10 to 20 potential lifeguards will know that day whether they have a job. They usually get anywhere from 100 to 200 candidates — and with the economy the way it is, there might be some tough competition.

While some people might consider it a pretty plush job to sit on the sand during nice summer days with girls in bikinis chillin’ all around them, being a lifeguard isn’t about working on the tan.

“The city’s beaches are crowded, so if people want a job where they are saving lives and being active, this is the place to work,” Baumgartner said.

The tryouts are always a blast to watch — I could never do what these applicants accomplish — as people push themselves during a rigorous test of swimming, endurance and mental strength. While most are out looking for a paying job, some people just show up to try out to see how they compare to the younger applicants, just for fun.

All of the lifeguard departments up and down the coast require some sort of strenuous swim, and a run-swim-run combo. Click the jump for times and dates:
Think you have what it takes?

Seal Beach

When: April 17, 7:30 a.m.

Pay: starts at $15.84 an hour

More info: 562-430-2613

Huntington City Beach

When: Sunday, 8 a.m.

Pay: starts at $15.92 an hour

More info: huntingtonbeachca.gov/jobs

Newport Beach

When: March 14, 8:30 a.m.

Pay: starts at $16.76 an hour

More info: 949-644-3177