To retest the physical skills of LBTBP guards and to encourage them to practice on rescue equipment, all guards are required to complete at least four competitions each season. One must be an ocean swimming event, and two more must be ocean events; the fourth may be anything on the competition calendar (except the Island races and beach flags, which do not count as events).

This applies to all guards, even those who only work weekends or those who start later in the season. Guards who fail to satisfy the requirement will not be rehired the following year.

Three events, including one ocean swimming event, must be completed by a date in late July (check the current year’s competition calendar to find the exact date). If you do not meet this requirement, you may be suspended from or removed from your lifeguard position.

An “ocean swimming event” is any swimming race that takes place in the ocean. For example, the 1000-meter swim, the run-swim-run, the surf rescue (as a swimmer), any one-mile ocean swim on the competition calendar, or any swimming race in the Mayor’s Cup tournament will satisfy the requirement for an ocean swimming event.

An “ocean event” is any event that takes place in the ocean, including rowing, paddleboarding, and swimming. All ocean swims after your first count as ocean events.

Your fourth competition may be anything on the competition calendar, including any ocean event (swimming or non-swimming), pulling the line in the Mayor’s Cup, any race in the swim meet, any bay rowing race, the two-mile beach run, or any other running race on the competition calendar.

You are only required to complete the events, not to win them. This should not be a problem for anyone who can pass the swim test.

Even though LBTBP requires competitions, they are intended to be fun, and many guards view the competition program as one of the most enjoyable aspects of lifeguarding.