stupid lifeguards

[tree_hugger]

Over here in the uk lifeguards are so dumb all they do all day is sit around in their pick ups with their died blonde hair, sun glasses on (even when its so overcast it might as well be night time) and their fake aussie accents it does my head in. I haven't actually even seen one save anybody all they do is put every surfer into a area even the surf schools which sucks because these people don't have a clue how to surf and get in my way. So from now on i'm just going to my secret spots even though they are crap.Man i love moaning. Hows the life guards every where else like?
surf mello

[Phil]

i rember hearing alot of stories last yeah about surfers having to rescue kids from the water becuse the lack of life guards in april i had to pull a kid from a rip there wasnt even a life guard around

north devon they have an area marked for swimmers and bodyboarders and surfers can go where they like as long as its not in the marked area works out ok that way though

i seriously think they need marked areas for kayaks only though been hit 3 times all ready this year, geting hit by an out of control kayak hurts like hell

[Ozzie]

Hey TreeHugger,

Sorry to hear that UK lifeguards are like that, remember that under the fake blond look they are there to save lives and have an immense responsibility (at ñeast that is how they should view it). I work as a volunteer lifeguard with the Red Cross here in Tenerife and getting people to understand that rules are rules and it is for the safety of all. The thing that really pi*#e~€ me off are the idiots who insist on swimming on days when there is a clear danger or swim out too far and then endanger the life of a rescuer because they can't deal with the situation. Trust me it ain't an easy job.

Ozzie.

[tree_hugger]

Yeah i agree that they must actually know what they are doing, what i said before was mostly tounge and cheek. But i class myself as a pretty acomplished surfer and i can easily take care of myself but they find the need to waste their own time by telling me to go in the marked areas thats what pisses me off.
They should definatly have a kayak only zone them things are totally out of control i rembember about 2 years ago the waves were pretty big and messy at Widemouth (the offending beach) but i decided to go out, i was battling though a load of white water and this kayaker comes hurtling straight towards me, i had to go underwater and he went straight over me if i hadn't i would of been knocked out or something and that would of given the lifeguards something else to worry about.
surf mello

[nz girl]

be glad that you fellas have life guards, we have a shark bell...yeah thats real proactive! if i ever get attacked by a shark, someone might ring the bell, that will make me feel a whole lot better! life guards are all good, and if it seems they are bossy control freaks, then i think you need to take into consideration the fact that unless they actually know you or you surf there every day, then they don't know if you can surf or if you are just another kook who thinks they know what they're doing. i agree about the damn kayaks though, those things are a bl##dy menace.

[Guest]

Hey NZ Girl.....once when I was a teenager...the bloody bell rang.

The one time I ever heard it go off I was lucky enough to be in the water.....ding ding ding, I'm sitting out the back off the salt water pool with about 10 guys and I hear this thing and I think to myself ..why's that church bell ringing...it's Saturday.....then it dawned on me....
I'm gonna die.... We're talking ST C in April (no damm nets).

I somehow climbed out of the water straight up onto the old pool surround, you know the old bit eh straight out from the new pool? And walked around to find out some bogans cruising the esplanade thought they'd have a laugh. Tossers. I believe there are plans to remove it when redeveloping the Esplanade shortly. Good.
I hate that bell.

[Guest]

I always forget to log-in dammit. that last post was me (Brent) obviously....

[nz girl]

you've heard about the restoration then? don't get me started on what they've done to the bl**dy beach. the kooks at the council have no idea about sand distribution, or it would seem, anything. the beach is now entirely covered in bolders, not to mention various bits of shrapnel from what ever it is they're trying to do. the place is a bl**dy mess and surfing down there has become fully hazardous. my feet are now (probably permantly) scarred from all the crap they have left lying around. thank god i have booties now..oh and the shark nets have been removed permanantly, something about the enviroment and seals getting caught in them...as for the shark bell, it still lurks, as ominous as ever. hasn't rung while i've been out yet (touch wood!)

[Guest]

Um, I work for local government. (planning)...no I don't wear walk-shorts, roman sandles or walk-socks. We do have a tea lady called Fay however who makes the meanest scones. Just like the Fay in Roger Hall's epic sitcom "Gliding On".
I haven't read too much from within Council Circles of what they're up to, I did see some draft plans but never read further. I know they really struggled design wise -It's an oxymoron that Esplanade.

It's primary role when built in the 1920's was to protect the road & immediate houses from erosion. But the current generation of citizens want to open it up for the community to use, to "frollock" in the surf and enjoy the balmy summers etc. But the very act of doing this will expose the road, infrastructure & dwellings to potential coastal hazard/wave action.
So, what do you do - have a nice big wall and safe everything...or a nice terraced arrangement that people (and their children, small dogs, prams etc) can be swept off by an unseen approching wave during a spectacular swell? There is no easy answer.
Public Access & right to enjoy costal strip trades off against Erosion Protection. Neither win.

That can be tomorrow's wee job. Read up & see what they're up to down there. See ya.
Brent
I

[nz girl]

hey brent
so you're a planner? a few of my mates are doing their masters in planning at the mo. sounds boring yet lucrative.(i'm an arts student, so forgive my bias!) i did check out their initial plans for the esplanade on line but havn't heard what the final consensus ended up being. they are now half way through building a massive wall - and in the process have taken out pretty much all access to the beach and have littered the beach with bolders and wire etc, hence my whinging. went for a surf at st clairs yesterday, was probably the best surf i have ever had, just real nice mellow peeling waves, and maybe 4 or 5 other guys out, so no heckling for waves. was good vibes all round, and i only had to miss one class...priorities eh?!

[Guest]

I'm sure it will all be cleaned up as the job draws to a conclusion.
As part of the RMA and resource consent granted for the job this is closely monitored.

However, most contractors are there to make money not to be good corporate citizens...and they will clean up things when somebody actually complains...why waste money on clean-up staff if you don't have to. They push it to the limit and will do the minimal work required. I expect nobody has actually complained so-far. That's why it is a mess now.

Frankly, if there is crap being left on the beach (I'm not talking rocks & boulders but specific building materials here like reinforcing steel, nails, wire, anything not natural) there are two bodies that should be told ASAP. Please document it with a digital camera if you have one as proof for them if required.

1) ring the DCC and make a formal complaint to the "Environmental Monitoring Officer". They will have one allocated specifically to this project. He will attend the site, document the mess and bail up the contractor. It'll be cleared up quickly.

2) Ring OSH (the Dunners Office). If you have physically injured yourself on the beach as a result of building debris beiing left there....the contractor is directly accountable, as is the Council as their immediate employer. If you ring OSH and make a verbal complaint...it's like unleashing the dogs of hell on any business or building site.... Inspectors will be all over the site giving them 12 hours or less to clean the whole place up.

Maybe just ring the DCC to start with eh?
Brent

See, planners can be handy people to know eh??

[nz girl]

hi brent
i didn't know i could do all that stuff! will keep it in mind, but at the moment i have to read three books this weekend, rewrite a 3000 word chapter to make it fit with my overall dissertation, add all my footnotes to the 12,000 or so words i have written so far, decide what i'm going to do my presentation on ( i have to do it in another 2 weeks, about an hour speach in german with handouts and 3000 word essay) um and of course i have assignments for my french papers. and naturally i'll go for a surf cos my friends are going and if i don't go i will just mope at home and procrastinate wondering what the surfs like. so i'm screwed. why would anyone choose to do post grad? why? why??? anyway if i get time i might complain about all the crap thats constantly left on the beach. good to know that i can actually do something instead of just whining!

[roman]

hi OZZIE,

I am looking for a job as lifeguard/pool/ in Canary islands, could you please recomend some agency or anybody that may offer this job

thanks

romanpall@yahoo.com

[Ozzie]

Hi ROMAN,

It depends on where you are on the island. In my area (Arona) the Red Cross (who I volunteer for, www.cruzroja.es provide life guards for the 4 beaches in the area, some paid to provide the minimum cover and volunteers too. To work with the R.C. you need to have a Spanish R.C. ocean lifeguard cert. or similar that can be homologated by them.(I spent all Sunday in a fast reaction R.I.B. riding at 40 knots, great fun!)
Other beaches are covered by Civil Protection or not at all.

Most hotels have lifeguards at their pools to comply with tour operators rules etc. so check out some hotels. There is a big waterpark in Las Americas that has L.G.s too but I don't know what certs. they require. If you don't speak Spanish then this is probably your best bet.

Hope that is some help.
Ozzie.