Closing Time

By by Kailey Aiken

After four days of beach closures, Rockaway and all other NYC beaches are back open — well, at least some sections of all of our beaches are open. As more and more lifeguards end their season every day, it is becoming increasingly harder to open large sections of shacks in Rockaway.

The majority of lifeguards are college students, many of whom go to southern schools that begin classes in mid to late August. Almost every shack loses half or more of their lifeguards by this time each year.

On Wednesday, 135 Shack was closed to send guards to the busier sections in Rockaway (mainly 106 and 97 Shacks). Chairs were added to open a second bay (jetty to jetty) in the 106 Shack. Even with the addition of the 135 Shack guards, there is still not enough manpower for every chair in 97 Shack to be open.

The lifeguard shortage continues to be felt by both lifeguards and patrons of NYC’s beaches and pools. Hopefully with the new, easier requirements for the pool’s swim test for next summer, more people will qualify and pass for pool, and lifeguards currently at the pools who are qualified for the beach will be moved from pool to beach. Maybe the beach test will even end up being made easier by the time we take it next May.

Since I’ll be returning to school this week, this will be the last “Day in the Lifeguard” of the summer. Thank you to everyone who’s read any of these columns this summer, I hope you’ve gotten a laugh or two out of the craziness that goes on at our beaches all summer. Have a great winter and see you next summer!

(Editor’s Note: Note that there is no beach season extension this year. The last day for lifeguarded beaches will be Labor Day, Monday, September 2. Please only swim when and where lifeguards or on duty. And thanks to our lifeguards for keeping us safe all summer!)

Photo by Wendy Rissmeyer.