All About Newport Beach

Huntington State Beach Lifeguard Requal – A Chilly Day

The Huntington State Beach Lifeguard try outs were yesterday at lifeguard headquarters yesterday morning. The air temperature was 55 degrees, and the water was in the high 50’s. My daughter Heather Thomson participated in the requalification swim yesterday.  I enjoy watching and encouraging these candidates who braved some less than optimal conditions yesterday. Not only was the air and water cold, there was a strong current, and choppy conditions. One of the candidates said because of the chop, it was difficult to get a rhythym while swimming.

There were two events. The returning guards requalify with a 1000 yard swim which must be completed within 20 minutes. They swim out around the buoys, back to shore and run to the finish line. Below the returning guards are lining up for their requalification swim. 

Getting a good start. Running into the water for the swim! Some of the candidates wear wetsuits, however  some think that it is more restrictive to swim with a wetsuit.

The second swim is for the new applicants trying out for one of the few spots at one of Californa’s State beaches. Then the new candidates must also complete a run swim run. The Huntington State Lifeguards were very prepared with the lifeguard boat, guards on paddle boards, and the personal water craft was utilized as well.

Definitely one of the highlights was there were dolphins during the requalification swim. One of the applicants apparently touched one during his swim. It always inspires me when I see dolphins so close to shore. 

 Mike Silvestri, a trainer for the Huntington Beach State Lifeguards said that some agencies are not testing at all due to cut backs.

Running to the finish line, every tenth of each second counts as most of these candidates are trying to beat their time.

Overall, this was a very good event, with lots of successes and some who may try it another day. The Huntington State Beach Lifeguards run a very organized and safe event.

If I can answer any questions, please contact me.

Phone or Text: 949.280.0681

Email: Spaxson@roadrunner.com

Originally posted at NewportBeachRealEstateCafe.com

Surf’s Up at Southern California Beaches

This week in the Newport Beach area has been glorious with warm weather and sunshine. Although the weather is supposed to change this weekend, we definitely enjoyed it while it lasted.

Last Sunday, on Valentine’s day, we took a bike ride to the Huntington Beach Pier to enjoy the beach climate and California sunshine and get some exercise at the same time. Huntington Beach is known as surf city.

This surfer below creating a fan while surfing a wave in Surf City. Looks like he is having a good time!

There were a lot of surfers out as there was a good swell on Sunday. The surfers surf right by the Huntington Beach pier, and it is a great opportunity to watch them and take some great photos. The pier was lined with observers.

Main Street in Huntington Beach was crowded with lots of people enjoying the weather and Valentines Day.

If you are looking for warm weather, you may want to consider the coastal communities in Orange County including Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, for a visit, or consider living here. If I can answer any questions about Newport Beach or Huntington Beach, please contact me.

Phone or Text: 949.280.0681

Email: Spaxson@roadrunner.com

Originally posted at NewportBeachRealEstateCafe.com

Huntington State Beach Lifeguard Try-Outs

begin on

March 6, 2010

The Huntington State Beach Lifeguard Try-Outs are beginning next month at March 7, 2010. For those of you who want to consider a position as a state lifeguard, this is your opportunity to try out for this event. The try outs will be held rain or shine, and despite the weather conditions, so make sure you are prepared!

The 2010 Ocean Testing Dates and Locations are as follows:

Huntington State Beach Saturday, March 6, 2010  – 9:00 am
Ventura (San Buenaventura) State Beach Sunday, March 7, 2010  – 9:00 am
Silver Strand State Beach Saturday, March 13, 2010  – 9:00 am
Rio Del Mar State Beach Saturday, March 13, 2010  – 9:00 am
South Carlsbad State Beach Sunday, March 14, 2010 – 9:00 am
Leo Carrillo State Park Saturday, March 20, 2010 – 9:00 am
Monterey State Beach Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 9:00 am
San Clemente State Beach Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 9:00 am
Refugio State Beach Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 9:00 am
Crystal Cove State Park Saturday, April 10, 2010 - 9:00 am

If you trying out for the Huntington State Beach Lifeguard program, make sure you show up at least 30 minutes before the event. The swim starts promptly at 9am, so I would recommend arriving no later than 8:30 am.You will want to bring something warm to put on after the swim, as the water is cool this time of year. Many swimmers do not wear wet suits as seen in the photo below. This photo was taken a couple of years ago.

The following is the description of events which must be passed in order to be considered for a State Lifeguard position.

• Pass a COMPETITIVE 1000 yard open water swim. Time limit of 20 minutes.
• Pass a COMPETITIVE [200 yard run - 400 yard swim - 200 yard run] event. Time limit of 10 minutes.

In addition to the physical events stated above, the candidates must also:

• Pass a qualification appraisal interview.

In order to be hired as a California State Lifeguard, the candidate must demonstrate successful completion of the above mentioned items and successfully compete the training as outlined below:

• Successful completion of the California State Park Lifeguard Training Program. (8 days)
•  Successful completion of work location Field Training Program.

If I can answer any questions about the Huntington State Beach Lifeguard  Try-Outs, please contact me.

Phone or Text: 949.280.0681

Email: Spaxson@roadrunner.com

Originally posted at NewportBeachRealEstateCafe.com.

Run Surf City . . . . Run

The Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach is tomorrow February 7, 2010. The marathon begins at 6:30 am. I have driven by there and they are set up, and there are many participants registering for this event.

The participation for the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach is one of the largest ever, with over 20,000 participants. Other events include the half marathon, and a 5K run. There is also a children's run. You can go out and cheer on the participants in this run! Hopefully, the weather will cooperate, as it has been raining all day, however there are some blue skies in the distance over in Huntington Beach.

If you want to  spectate at the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, you can find the route information and street closure here. I suggest arriving early as there is a large turn out this year.

If I can answer any questions about this event, please contact me.

Phone or Text: 949-280-0681

Email: Spaxson@roadrunner.com

All photographs are taken and posted by Sharon Paxson, copyright© 2009.  All rights reserved. Photographs may not be copied, or reproduced without the express, written permission of Sharon Paxson, Realtor, Prudential California Realty, Newport Beach.  Contact Sharon Paxson for permission for use of photograph, and permission may be granted in writing.

Huntington State Beach Lifeguard Try Outs

The try outs for a lifeguard position can be exhausting, and you have to be both physically and mentally prepared. On March 7, 2009, the lifeguard tryouts were held at Huntington State Beach. The re-qualification for existing lifeguards were held first, and the applicants were able to watch.

The requirements for the re-qualifications were for the lifeguards to swim a 1000 yard open water swim within 20 minutes. The permanent lifeguards set up for this event with the lifeguard boat, set up buoys to swim around, launch the personal watercraft, and have lifeguards on duty to ensure it is a safe event.

For the re-qualifications for Huntington State Beach, 81 people showed up. Some were wearing wet suits and others were not. The water was approximately 56-58 degrees. The swimmers are prepped on the swim, and the expectation.

It was quite an event to watch, as the lifeguards plunged into the water and "went for it". You can see they all have the competitive edge and it is exciting to watch. They swim straight out to a buoy and around another buoy and back to shore. They have to be experienced with the ocean and know and about the currents and how that will affect their swim. My daughter Heather swam in this event and did great, she finished in 13.44. Pretty fast considering no wet suit, and had currents to contend with.

After their re-qualifications, the applicants for other California State lifeguard positions completed their swim. They also had another event to complete which is a run - swim - run. After successful completion of the physical events, the lifeguard applicants must qualification interview to be accepted into the training program. From there, these applicants must successfully complete the training program in order to be eligible for hire for a State Lifeguard position.

The dates for other State Lifeguard tryouts are:

Leo Carillo State Park              March 21, 2009
San Clemente State Park         March 28, 2009
Refugio State Beach                 March 29, 2009
Monterey State Beach               April 4, 2009
Crystal Cove State Beach         April 4, 2009

These events start at 9:00 am sharp. Please verify time and date with the Statelifeguards.com website if you are trying out.

Congratulations to those who competed in this event, and look forward to seeing you this summer watching our State beaches.

If I can answer any questions about Huntington Beach Real Estate, Newport Beach Real Estate, Corona del Mar homes for sale, or Newport Coast homes for sale, please contact me.

Phone or Text: 949.280.0681
Email: Spaxson@roadrunner.com

About the author:

Sharon Paxson is a Huntington Beach and Newport Beach Residential Realtor, who can assist you with the sale and/or purchase of real estate in the Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Newport Coast area.  If you are considering relocating to or from the Orange County area, contact Sharon as she will assist you with the purchase of your new home, or connect you with a trusted professional in her network, in the city you have selected.

All Content Copyright© 2009 By Sharon Paxson, All Rights Reserved "Huntington State Beach Lifeguard Try-Outs"

Disclaimer:  Information contained herein are the views and opinions of Sharon Paxson. This information may be based on information from multiple sources, and may be subject to change without notice. This information is not guaranteed, have warranties either express or implied, may be time sensitive, and may or may not be deemed reliable at the time of researching this article. Information regarding market reports is obtained from the SoCalMLS.