Coral reefs are dying at an alarming rate, but who’s trying to stop this? Lucky for us, Watermen – Dr. Jacob Eurich, is doing his best to help. He’s part of a great community researching the interactions between coral reefs and human communities. Along with his studies he also gets to travel to some pretty cool remote places and spend his days in the ocean doing research – not a bad gig, huh? People like Jacob are needed this day and age to help bring awareness to our dying reefs. We all need to step up and take part in saving our environment, and here at Watermen we plan on continuing to do our best to reduce our footprint. We’ve led this charge with one of our flagship products. Our men’s amphibious compression shorts are 100% sustainably-sourced from recycled fishing nets!
So what is it you actually do?
I am a marine conservationist and faculty researcher at UCSB in the Marine Science Institute, same thing as a professor but without the teaching. My job as a scientist is to discover new solutions for real world problems and then communicate the results back to people who need the information. Right now, I am working on many projects, advising students, and collaborating with governments and non-profit NGO organizations – all on the health of our coral reefs and why healthy coral reefs are so important. My research aims to tackle ecological and social-ecological coral reef issues under the overarching themes of climate change, human use, fisheries, and the resilience of our reefs.
So, what does your day entail?
Most of a marine scientists’ time is spent in the office writing, analyzing data, working on reports, and traveling to work functions like workshops, conferences and meetings. I would say 70% of my days are spent on a computer doing the actual research. The other 30% of my time is the exciting fieldwork where I get to go out to remote coral reefs and small island nations. Those days are spent diving, fishing and working with local communities – typically 10 hours out on the boat each day for a month. I do a few trips a year and this is where Waterman really supports me with durable, performance swimwear and gear, as well as sun protection products.
How does your research help the reefs?
One of my main projects right now is on the interactions between coral reefs and human communities. With colleagues from around the world, we are aiming to understand how much coral reef-derived foods matter to human health. Celebrating the diversity and beauty of species in endangered ocean ecosystems, like coral reefs, resonates with many world leaders. Others, however, will only act when it can be proven that the oceans demonstrably benefit the people and communities they represent. One of the most compelling of such human benefits is the linkage between human health and environmental health. Right now, we do not have a good understanding of how coral reefs shape human health and so many world leaders are not focused on reef conservation. We are looking to identify effective reef management practices that can lead to levels and types of seafood consumption that promote human nutrition. Healthy reefs = healthy people and we need to improve reef conservation to make sure this link remains for future generations.
What can the average person do to help?
I think there are three major things that people can do to help save our reefs and promote ocean health. The first is reducing your carbon footprint. We can all reduce the effects of climate change on the ocean by using public transport, biking or walking, as well as being conscious of your energy use at home and work. Switching to fluorescent light bulbs, taking the stairs, avoiding AC/thermostat, and educating family and friends are a start! A second important thing is being sustainable with your seafood choices and product use. Limit your plastic impact, store food in non-disposable containers, reusable bags and bottles, and support brands that are environmentally conscious like Waterman! Lastly, I would say influence change in your community with your vote and public voice.
What is the favorite place you’ve traveled to for research?
One of the more remote places that I have conducted research in is an island called Butaritari in the South Pacific. Butaritari is a coral reef atoll that belongs to the country of Kiribati. It took multiple flights, local boat transportation, and motorbikes to get to the villages our project works in. I went out there to survey coral reef health and to work directly with the island’s elders and fisheries workers. We lived in a stilt house in the local village, ate local food, and learned about life out in a remote Pacific island. The reefs were incredible and largely pristine!
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Let’s state the obvious here, this is one wave you’ll dream about forever and our crew is stoking to surf it. Chicama is best known for having the longest wave in the world, then you can mosey over to Pico Alto for one of the biggest waves in the world, not a bad place huh? Don’t even get us started on the food there, ceviche for days… Maybe not the “American Dream” but sure as heck the “Watermen Dream”.
We’ll land in Lima take a jumper flight to Trujillo, and by that time the froth sets in. Once we are in Trujillo we hitch a ride to Chicama, the trip usually takes around 45 minutes, give or take how hungry we are. Start the days off with some eggs and bacon, hop on the zodiac and surf until your thighs are too sore to move.
Why do we do this to our bodies? Why do we travel to the ends of the earth all for a wave? Honestly, I couldn’t tell you, but here at Watermen we are hooked on that feeling. That feeling of adventure and being in the ocean, and what better way to travel than with your favorite crew? Maybe we could do without Ryan, since he is notorious for snaking waves.
Next month’s newsletter will have some pictures from our trip. I imagine a few stories of mishap and casualties, more than anything tales of one of the best waves around the world. But for now, we will leave you at the edge of your seat wanting more…
Lifeguard uniform requirements are basically the same throughout the world, men’s lifeguard board shorts, women’s lifeguard swimsuits and t-shirts printed with the words Lifeguard or guard. Board short lengths are designated by each lifeguard agency. Long board shorts can hinder leg movement and interfere with rescues. Lifeguard apparel should always be made from rash free material, lifeguard board shorts should have oversized closure pockets with a locking loop and drain holes that allow the water to get out instead of weigh you down. Men’s lifeguard boardshorts should not drag or stick to your legs when wet. Women’s lifeguard swimsuits must stay up on the shoulders and their bottoms should stay on through different size surf. Neither should fade from the sun or pool chemicals.
Easily Identifiable
Clearly distinguishable and visible lifeguard uniforms are a must. Lifeguard uniform conformity, stops confusion and can help save lives. When agencies fail to require matching uniforms and let the lifeguard choose what to wear, then lifeguard visibility and identification becomes almost impossible especially when a high volume of people are present. Large facilities can have hundreds of patrons in the water at the same time. This means teams of lifeguards, working together must be able to spot their partners quickly in and out of the water. Lifeguard uniforms tie the agencies together and instill respect for the guards.
Colors
Lifeguard uniform colors in the past have consisted of mostly red or navy with white labeling. Today agencies stick with traditional colors and others pick out uniform colors that match the theme of their park or their particular branding.
Beaches and water parks that don’t have identical lifeguard uniforms have been sued when patrons were unable to find a guard when needed.
Lifeguard Equipment Requirements
Rescue Cans should be the best in the industry; beware of imitations! The Marine Rescue Patrol Can was developed by L.A. County Chief Lifeguard Bob Burnside over 30 years ago. Marine Rescue Patrol Cans are made with the thickest wall construction on the market and have a heavy nylon shoulder rescue strap attached to a nylon line.
The lifeguard rescue can or sometimes called rescue tube is the most used piece of rescue equipment in the world. It is used by lifeguards at most pools, waterparks, oceans, lakes and rivers. Well made rescue tubes are made from Ensolite foam with heavy vinyl covering. Rescue tubes made with tapered ends provide comfort and help to reduce drag. Rescue tubes can support both the victim and rescuers weight during the rescue. They are the preferred choice of the American Red Cross and are used by lifeguard training agencies around the world.
Lifeguard rescue fins help with long distance rescues or battling strong rip currents. Lifeguard rescue fins are designed to propel you through the water with minimal effort.
Lifeguard rescue fins like Da Fins are used for jetty rescues and rock hopping, due to their smaller size. All lifeguard fins must float so that they will wash into shore if lost in the water.
Lifeguard rescue fin the Duck feet fins are also highly acclaimed and are the #1 choice by Navy.
Lifeguard backboards are used by lifeguards to secure and transport physically injured victims. A popular choice by agencies is the Watermen Pediatric Spineboard. The polyethylene shell of this spineboard is heavy duty and x-ray translucent, so moving the injured victim from board to bed for x-rays is not necessary.
Sun Protection
Though not required lifeguards should use sun protection. Solrx a great sunscreen that stays on all day and will not run into your eyes.
Lifeguard rashguards provide an extra layer of SPF 50 protection from the sun and also provides warmth.
Skin cancer of the ears is becoming a growing dilemma. Broad brimmed hats like the La Palapa Hat a straw hat, works great and was originated in the 1960’s by California beach lifeguards. The wide rim covers and protects the ears.
Tonga hats are also a wide brimmed hat that is the most popular hat used by lifeguard agencies in California.
Ergonomics is a fancy word for scientific studies conducted to understand the interactions of humans and other elements of a system. The ergonomics study done recently for lifeguard personnel questioned what color uniform (boardshorts or swim suits) lifeguards or other first responders should wear to be noticed in a crowd.
In 2009 the study declared that fluorescent colors, including yellow-green and orange, are easiest to spot in daylight and lime shades easiest to see in low lighting. So should all lifeguards and first responders wear fluorescent colors to be easily recognized in crowd?
Florescent Lifeguard Uniforms
Do the traditional color lifeguard boardshorts or Lifeguard swimming suits standout enough to gather attention and demand control when needed? In the early 70’s a lifeguard ad promoted a new trend of florescent bright as the sun orange, yellow and lime lifeguard trunks. The lifeguard agency tried it for a year and returned to standard red shorts because no one associated the florescent lifeguard apparel with true first responders. The U.S. Fire Administration replaced red fire trucks and beach emergency vehicles with lime-yellow fire vehicles with white upper cabs. This action, even though the vehicles could be seen better, started trouble because people in the community did not associate the color lime with fire trucks or the yellow-green vehicles as emergency vehicles. A battle began between the community and fire department. The community ordered an ergonomic study which confirmed that fluorescent yellow-green and orange greatly increased vehicle visibility, but the report also concluded that the public did not associate the emergency vehicles with the new colors and recommended that public association was more important than paint color.
Do Lifeguard Uniforms Matter?
In the early years of lifeguarding, fishermen were recruited to be lifeguards. Each morning after going fishing in the morning the fishermen wearing their fishing clothes became lifeguards and used their boats as lifesaving devises. The fishermen encountered several problems as they tried to help the distressed swimmers. They struggled to control their small boats in windswept choppy waters and getting the swimmer into the boat was a difficult problem. But the biggest problem was that the general public didn’t respect the fishermen and called them a nuisance. It was so bad that when a distressed swimmer was in trouble they refused help from the fishermen until they passed out in the water. The fishermen lifeguards went to the lifeguard board with their dilemma. The counsels’ answer to the problem was to give them a lifeguard uniform, which seemed to resolve the respect problem.
A state beach in Florida received a complaint letter from a mother stating the trouble she had while at the beach with her kids. One of her children had drifted out to far into the water and she tried to find a lifeguard in the crowd. No lifeguard was to be found, no uniformed lifeguards were anywhere to be seen. Her child was pulled back to shore by an onlooker. The beach supervisor replied he was sorry the mother could not find a lifeguard, but it was their policy to let the lifeguards pick out their own swimwear, so as it turned out the female lifeguard was mixed in with the 100’s of people on the beach.
Introducing the Yellow Lifeguard Uniform
Colors play an important part in our daily lives. Colors evoke feelings, emotions, memories and provide warnings of potential hazards and dangers. But are the colors particularly important, or is it more important having a lifeguard uniform that is distinctive and the same throughout the respective areas? All lifeguards at any facility, beach, or recreation area should wear corresponding uniforms. Lifeguard uniforms give the appearance they are rescue ready, and give the look of authority, making them easy to identify by visitors. Lifeguards must stand out and be easily recognizable in huge crowds. Aquatic facilities and Waterparks have increased in size and numbers. Waterparks can span as much as 35 or more acres and can support staff of 250 or more. Red, blue, and black lifeguard uniforms may no longer have a place in these aquatic facilities. Florescent safety yellow for lifeguard uniforms has benefits that support everything from lifeguard safety to guest satisfaction. Safety yellow lifeguard uniforms do have advantages over the present-day uniforms because florescent safety yellow allows lifeguards to be seen across the large facilities. More important it helps lifeguards find their closest teammate for support when they need it. Red, navy, and black have been the lifeguard uniform colors of choice, but as the industry and profession moves forward, someone will still have to answer the question, should lifeguards wear red anymore?
Ever hear the warning ‘don’t swim or surf after it’s rained’?
Runoff Rain Water
This is because of the surface runoff in rainwater, created by urbanization. This runoff is a major source of flooding and water pollution in urban communities worldwide. Surface street run off waters are dumping serious amounts of bacteria, human and animal waste overflow and hundreds of pounds of plastic waste into the surf. Sewage pipes are allowed to overflow and discharge into rivers and the sea during storms. Yet, many people are torn between big waves, and polluted waters.
Many public officials try and make light of this issue. Recently a spokesperson for Los Angeles County stated that the debris we see after a storm does not pose a threat to the public. These same people are convinced that during these storms, dangerous sharks are sucked out of the water and tossed about, thus driving them away from the shores.
After it rains everyone should avoid entering any water especially near stream mouths, river mouths and channels. The fast-moving water not only contains overflowing sewer water but becomes inundated with a lot of abundant amounts of trash washing off the streets, including dead animals, stream fish weakened by exposure to salt water, and rubbish. After the rain these flooded murky waters attract small fish that come to feed. These small bait fish will eventually attract hungry sharks browsing to feed, that have come back towards the shallow waters. And when that happens, the low visibility, due to murky water make it more difficult for sharks to determine whether your fish or human and is known to increase the risk of people getting bitten by sharks.
Health Hazards
Ocean water contaminated with sewage, storm run-off and oil carry bacteria, parasites, and viruses, which can cause a variety of diseases. The murky waters contain high levels of bacteria that could make swimmers sick. Research is being conducted throughout the world on the dangers of rain water runoffs and the dangers of surfing or swimming during or after a rain.
Studies have found that when surfers and swimmers come in contact with sewage-polluted water they contract a wide variety of illnesses. Gastroenteritis or GI, is spread by the ingestion of bacteria pathogens in fecal-contaminated water. Symptoms are cramps vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, nausea, headache, and fever. Other disorders causes by the polluted water include hepatitis, respiratory illness, and ear, nose, and throat problems, giardiasis, amoebic dysentery, skin rashes, and pink eye, and ear infections.
Swallowing or inhaling the polluted water through your nose or mouth or being in the water with an open sore after a rain will almost definitely cause an infection. Streptococcus bacteria also known as Strep can cause serious infections and even kill you.
As well oil carries with it bacteria, parasites, and viruses, which can cause a variety of diseases. This “toxic cocktail” of pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals and other pollutants can definitely affect your body as well.
That said, it is best to avoid polluted waters for 12 to 72 hours following heavy storms. After 3 days water levels typically return to what’s considered safe.
If you are still willing to sacrifice your health after reading this, consider moving away from runoff areas, and stay out of murky or discolored water. If you see lots of leaves and plastic bottles floating around, then get out of the water. Storm water can look clean and still have a very high concentration of disease carrying pathogens and bacteria.
It is up to you to keep yourself and family safe. Remember you will not normally see signs posted, warning the public of dangerous water. In Orange County the Department of Health has been quoted as saying, “We just assume all surfers know that the water is polluted after it rains.
California’s beautiful State Parks encompass over 900 miles of ocean coastlines plus thousands of miles of reservoir, lake and river shorelines. Thousands of lifeguards protect these water sources, to ensure the safety of the 50 million people, that travel to these parks each year. California’s State Parks employ around 600 seasonal lifeguards each summer. And each of these lifeguards have completed lifeguard training, certification and testing programs. Note: These programs are not swim classes, they can be seriously physically and mentally challenging.
Understanding What Type of Lifeguard, You Want to Be
Lifeguard training is job specific, that said there are the following:
Pool Lifeguards – areresponsible for public and private pools
Aquatic Attraction Lifeguards – watch over waterparks or pools that offer attractions, and a have a maximum water depth of 5 feet or less.
Waterfront Lifeguards – prevent and respond to emergencies in non-surf, open-water areas found at public parks, resorts, summer camps, campgrounds etc. life lakes, bays or rivers.
Beach Lifeguards – guard in all areas of open water with surf.
Qualifications
Typically, agencies allow you to be 15 years of age, on or before the final day of the lifeguard training course, but most expect you to be 16. As well as possess a valid driver’s license, with a good driving record, at the time of appointment. Candidates must have the ability to read and write English and have no felony convictions.
The biggest and most important qualification is you must have the physical strength and endurance necessary to rescue a struggling victim in the water.
As well all candidates must be able to detect a struggling victim in the water by having 20/20 corrected vision, and 20/40 uncorrected vision, along with passing a hearing test.
Lifeguard Certification
Obtaining a lifeguard position is not an easy task. Everyone must attend lifeguard courses that teach you the skills needed to prevent, recognize, and respond to aquatic emergencies. Participants will be trained and certified in CPR for the Professional Rescuer (CPRO), and First Aid care for injuries and sudden illness until EMS (emergency services) take over.
You will also practice using life-saving flotation devices like rescue tubes to help struggling swimmers. You will be properly trained in using back boards to help move people who may have injured their spines, and CPR barrier devices called face shields. Face shields are placed over the victim’s mouth during CPR, to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases via bodily fluids. Pool guards will also be taught how to communicate with a whistle while on duty.
Lifeguard Certification Cost
No matter the type of lifeguarding you choose, you must pass job specific certification classes. The American Red Cross, National Aquatic Safety, and the YMCA provide training courses for non-surf guards. Lifeguard training can cost anywhere from $125-$300 and can last from 21 hours-40 hours. Note: state, county and city lifeguard agencies provide their own training programs.
Lastly, everyone will be administered a qualification appraisal interview.
Lifeguard Testing
You will need to pass a job specific written test, as well as a timed swim test. These tests and trainings are to ensure that you are able to provide beach and pool safety, enforce city ordinance laws, and learn how and when to prepare and file reports. Note: Lifeguard testing and tryouts differ between states and agencies, and some begin their testing as early as February, so they can spend their Spring Break doing more intense certification training.
Lifeguard Recertification
It is best not let your lifeguard certification expire, or you will have to repeat the entire process again. Lifeguard retesting is designed to inform you of the latest and most up to date lifeguarding techniques, to keep the people around you safe. Most lifeguard certifications only last one to five years.
If lifeguarding is still interesting to you, then start preparing now. Get in the water; work on your swim strokes and endurance. Next up in this series, “what to expect at lifeguard tryouts”.
Lifeguard Uniform Requirements
Ergonomics is a fancy word for scientific studies conducted to understand the interactions of humans and other elements of a system. The ergonomics study done recently for lifeguard personnel questioned what color uniform (boardshorts or swim suits) lifeguards or other first responders should wear to be noticed in a crowd.
warning ‘don’t swim or surf after it’s rained’?
