Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Lifeguard In New Jersey?

by Patricia A. Miller

It's been more that seven decades since the men of the Boyd family in Seaside Heights began guarding the borough's beaches. And the tradition still continues today.

Jay Boyd, 57, chief of the Seaside Heights Beach Patrol, presides over a crew of highly-trained lifeguards who keep watch over the borough's beaches. He was nearby when not one, not two, but three people went into the 58-degree ocean water on Wednesday afternoon and quickly got into trouble.

A 12-year-old brother and 13-year old sister became stranded on a sandbar in one incident. Another 22-year-old man was caught in a rip current. All three were saved by lifeguards who were not on duty but close by, preparing for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

And it wasn't easy. Water that cold is dangerous for the guards too, Boyd said.

"It's a professional job," Boyd said. "All of us up and down New Jersey are professionals."

Jay Boyd is the grandson of the legendary Capt. John J. Boyd, who set the standard for guarding Seaside's ocean and bay beaches and his lifeguard crew long into his seventh decade.

His uncles, twin brothers Hugh and Joseph, also served on the Beach Patrol for many years. Hugh was an assistant chief and Joseph was a squad lieutenant. Even current Police Chief Thomas J. Boyd was a guard.

Does Jay Boyd still go out on rescues?

"Only if I have to," said Boyd, who is recovering from throat cancer. "I leave it to the young bucks to take care of that."

Lifeguards up and down the New Jersey coast adhere to a strict training schedule. Seaside lifeguards start at 9 a.m., that includes an hour of training or exercise every day before they climb into their stands, Boyd said.

But that comes at the end of all the preparations. All lifeguards in New Jersey are required to pass the State Park Service Lifeguard Test to be certified. That includes scoring at least 90 on a written exam and a rigorous physical test, according to Lifeguard Certification NJ.

Candidates must be able to swim 500 meters in 10 minutes or less. If a pool is not available, the "open water" test is given instead. They begin on the beach and run into waist-deep water, then swim to touch a marker that is 250 meters from the water line and return to the starting point within 10 minutes.

Candidates must also run 400 meters in one minute, 40 seconds or less. The running test takes place on track, parking lot or other hard surfaces. They have ten minutes to rest between the swim test and the running test.

Ten minutes is the maximum rest and changing time between the two parts of the test.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services also requires that returning lifeguards and new recruits complete the required training program which is approved by the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA). It covers skills such as kayak and rescue board rescues, handling spinal injuries, scanning, and the proper use of lifeguard equipment.

The full program is outlined in the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s Lifeguard Manual. During the season, New Jersey lifeguards are also required to complete regular physical trainings to maintain their skills and fitness levels.

Boyd is hoping for a good year. Only one person has drowned in Seaside Heights in the entire time the Beach Patrol has been in existence.

And he has one resounding message for visitors: don't swim on an unguarded beach.