Every year more than 2.5 million people visit our beach. We have five full-time and 46 seasonal ocean lifeguards dedicated to keeping us safe. 

 

Each summer, our Junior Lifeguard Program trains over 700 kids between the ages of 10 – 16. They spend their days learning ocean safety, first aid and teamwork, playing beach games, jumping off the pier and generally just having a fun time.

Truly, our San Clemente lifeguards do an outstanding job keeping us all safe and educating our youth to be ocean minded and safe. 

In 2013, a group of former San Clemente City lifeguards and community leaders formed the San Clemente Lifeguard and Junior Guard Foundation. We are dedicated to the safety of our beaches and supporting our lifeguard and junior lifeguard programs 

The San Clemente Lifeguard & Junior Guard Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the safety and well-being of visitors to the beach. We do this through education, developing and building community partnerships, and obtaining resources to directly support the San Clemente Marine Safety Division’s Lifeguard and Junior Lifeguard programs.

Lifeguard equipment and supplies – To help our lifeguards serve the public, we provide equipment and supplies that are not available through the City budget. Recent purchases have included an ocean observation drone, beach camera monitors that display live beach and swimmer activity video feeds in the lifeguard dispatch center and a forward looking infrared (FLIR) thermal imaging device for enhanced rescue efficiency in low light conditions. This year, we will also provide water hydration bottles for all our lifeguards and binoculars for all new lifeguards. 

Junior Lifeguard scholarships and equipment - For 2019, we will fund 30 Junior Lifeguard Program scholarships, including program supplies. We will also sponsor educational field trips, provide entry fees for competitions, and purchase equipment like an inflatable platform for pier jump safety. We will also hold our very popular lifeguard and junior lifeguard team surfing competition. 

Educational events and programs - Partnering with the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center (SHACC), in 2018, we sponsored an evening with former world champion surfer Shaun Tomson, where more than 200 young people and their parents experienced an incredible, motivating presentation. For 2019, we are planning a three-event Role Model Series, where community youth and their families will have a chance to meet with and hear from local role models about ocean awareness and safety, and a special Girl Power in the Water event for young girls. We are also working with the Metrolink Beach Train, OCTA and the San Clemente Trolley to provide beach safety information for passengers. 

Maintaining a safe, clean environment - If you visit Linda Lane beach, you will see our Foundation logo on the underpass. We have adopted the underpass and work to make sure it remains a clean and healthy passage to the beach.