Why Swimming Near a Lifeguard Matters

Swimming near a lifeguard is the single best choice you can make at the beach. The National Weather Service (NWS) says to only swim at a beach with lifeguards (opens in a new tab), and quotes the U.S. Lifesaving Association: the chances of drowning at a beach with lifeguards are 1 in 18 million.

Lifeguards spot rip currents, warn swimmers, close dangerous sections and make rescues. But they only help if you swim when and where they are on duty, and they don't replace a parent's eyes.

1 in 18 million

What the numbers say

The 1 in 18 million figure comes from the U.S. Lifesaving Association (USLA). The NWS quotes it on its rip current safety page. The NWS Tallahassee office describes it as the chance of drowning at a beach protected by USLA affiliated lifeguards (opens in a new tab). Neither page gives a year or explains how the figure was calculated, so treat it as a sign of how much lifeguards help, not as a precise measurement.

The opposite is also clear:

• The NWS says not all beaches have lifeguards – but swimming without one increases the chance of drowning (opens in a new tab).
• The National Park Service says there is an increase in DROWNINGS when people swim without lifeguards on duty (opens in a new tab).
• CDC's advice for natural water is to choose swimming sites that have lifeguards when possible (opens in a new tab).

What lifeguards do

The National Park Service says lifeguards are trained to protect swimmers and watch for and alert you to rip currents, lateral currents, large storm surf, undertow and other hazards (opens in a new tab) in the water.

Lifeguards also:

• Close dangerous water. At NYC beaches, closed sections are marked with signs and/or red flags (opens in a new tab).
• Make rescues the safe way. The NWS says even lifeguards only attempt rip current rescues using a flotation device (opens in a new tab).
• Give advice. The City of Jacksonville Beach in Florida says its lifeguards can advise you on the safest place to swim, as well as places to avoid (opens in a new tab).
• Help with more than water. The same city says its lifeguards treat beachgoers for heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and help reunite lost family members.

Swim only when and where guards are on duty

Lifeguards work set hours, in set areas. Outside those hours and areas, you're on your own, and at many beaches it's against the rules.

• New York City: NYC Parks says lifeguards are on duty daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the beach season, and swimming is prohibited when lifeguards are not on duty and in closed sections (opens in a new tab).
• Gateway National Recreation Area (Jacob Riis Park, Great Kills Park and Sandy Hook): the National Park Service says swimming is prohibited at locations without lifeguards and when lifeguards are not on duty (opens in a new tab). It also notes that law enforcement rangers are not lifeguards.

Practical rules for any guarded beach:

• Find the nearest lifeguard stand when you arrive, and set up near it.
• Swim in the area the lifeguard is watching, not off to the side.
• Get out when the lifeguards leave for the day, or when they call you in.
• Follow every direction a lifeguard gives, right away.

NYC Parks sums it up: only swim when and where lifeguards are on duty (opens in a new tab), because a drowning can happen in seconds.

Talk to the lifeguard

Lifeguards know their beach better than any app. The NWS says to check the beach forecast before you go and talk to the lifeguard at the beach (opens in a new tab). When you arrive, ask the lifeguard about rip currents and other potentially dangerous water conditions (opens in a new tab) expected that day.

Good questions to ask:

1. "Are there any rip currents today? Can you point them out?"
2. "Where is the best place for my kids to swim?"
3. "What does today's flag mean here?"
4. "What time do you go off duty?"
5. "If my child gets lost, where should they come?"

Introduce your children to the lifeguard too, so they know who to go to if they get lost. See what to do if your child gets lost at the beach.

Lifeguards are not babysitters

A lifeguard watches a crowd. You watch your child.

• CDC says adults should supervise children closely even when lifeguards are present (opens in a new tab).
• NYC Parks says to never leave children unattended near water, even when lifeguards are on duty (opens in a new tab).
• Pool Safely says that even if a lifeguard is present, parents and caregivers should still take the responsibility of being a designated Water Watcher (opens in a new tab). The same applies at the beach.

Name one adult as the Water Watcher, with no phone and no book, and switch every so often. The Red Cross also says to swim with a buddy even in lifeguarded areas (opens in a new tab).

If there's no lifeguard

The best plan is to go somewhere that has one. For lakes, rivers and other spots, see how to choose a safe place to swim.

If you're at a beach with no lifeguard on duty, the NWS advice is:

• Designate a water watcher who can call 9-1-1 (opens in a new tab).
• Follow all posted signs.
• Keep children within arm's reach.
• Only go in the water if you can swim safely.
• Take a flotation device with a leash.
• Remember: when in doubt, don't go out.

The NWS also says even experienced ocean visitors can be overcome by the power of the waves (opens in a new tab), so your first choice should always be a guarded beach. And if rip currents are forecast, stay out of the water (opens in a new tab). Learn the signs in how to spot and escape a rip current.

What you can do today

1. Look up lifeguard hours and areas for the beach you plan to visit. New Yorkers can start with NYC beach safety.
2. Plan your day around guard hours. Arrive after the lifeguards start and be out of the water before they leave.
3. Write down your questions for the lifeguard, and ask them when you arrive.
4. Decide who the Water Watcher is before you leave home, and take turns.
5. Learn the flags. Read what each beach flag color means.