I shot this photo of two lifesavers in their Surf Rescue vehicle on Hat Head beach yesterday. They were travelling the length of the beach, with rescue surfboard strapped to their vehicle, to ensure that swimmers and surfers at the other, unpatrolled, end of the beach were aware of the peculiar conditions of the surf. Surf lifesaving originated in Australia and so is perfect for my 'S' category. The surf lifesaving movement is quintessentially Australian, originating in Sydney in 1906 and spreading to other countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, Britain, South Africa and the United States. In Australia, surf lifesavers are colloquially known as 'clubbies'. It was here that the principle of swimming 'between the flags' originated.
When I was young, one of the fun things to do at the beach was to watch the lifesavers rescue somebody in trouble in the surf. In those days, they were always huge, burly, suntanned young men who strapped a big belt around their waists and dived into the surf attached to a rope that was reeled out from the shore by their colleagues. They were distinguished by their red and yellow skullcaps. Women were barred from joining. Nowadays, of course, it's all different. With kayaks, motorised rubber craft, helicopters and surfboards, their job is made much easier and lifesavers come in all shapes and sizes and both sexes. They set a good example by wearing broadbrimmed hats, plenty of sunscreen and covering up when out of the water. They must have a high level of swimming ability, first aid qualifications, and at least their bronze medallion in lifesaving.
The surf lifesaving movement was founded in response to an increase in drownings on Sydney's beaches following the relaxation of the laws that forbade bathing in daylight. Lifesavers are all voluntary and there are over 25,000 active members in Australia of which 40% are women. No lifesaver is paid one cent for their extremely important duties. Associated with the lifesaving role are the competitive sporting events that evolved from the training of lifesavers. These range from young children's beach sports – the nippers – through to the ironman and ironwoman events. Australian beaches are often taken over by these colourful events; very exciting. Their extremely expensive equipment is all donated or bought through fundraising or government grants.
I like the shot and the interesting story. Wow these guys get paid nothing and still do the job, how cool is that. Why were you not allowed to swim during the day??
@juhlin Thanks Marna. Yes, it's good for women to have these choices now. @ruthyadams Thanks Ruth. @sarasdadandmom Thanks Sara's Dad. Yes, all purely voluntary. I think the camaraderie, the sporting ethos, the social side (most are young singles), and the opportunity to spend days on the beach all add to the glamour of the job. I think you'll find that it was the same on big public beaches in most countries up to early-20th century. Bathing in the sea was an immodest thing to do, even with neck-to-knee swimsuits. Certainly men and women never swam together.
Great information. And it reminds me of what I saw in action today at our local ski hill. In the US, there is a national organisation of ski patrollers dedicated to the safety of skiers across the country. Every ski hill, large or small, has a cadre of these guys who have passed a rigourous training program. On our mountain, about half our patrollers are volunteers and half are professional. The voltuneers get free ski priviledges and other perks and only work part time, usually weekends. The pro's...I'm not sure how they are compensated, but I know they usually work 9 - 5 during the week. These guys are out there in ALL weather conditions. When they aren't saving people's lives by splinting and CPR, they are saving lives by marking hazards and monitoring unsafe skiers and conditions. They are amazing.
Today, we saw two people in need of the ski patrol. One young kid had fallen on a cat track (HARD packed snow) and despite his helmet, he was lying there unconcious. The second person was wrapped around a tree trunk with a severely broken leg. He was probably going to be air lifted to the hospital. Each of these incidents is a reminder to the rest of us to think twice about our adventures on the snow.
Another great story Robin. I have been meaning to ask you, do you have a problem on the beach that you go to with the little jellyfish that sting. I have watched a couple TV shows on the Discovery Channel that have said that the Australian beaches are known for having some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but also the most dangerous when it comes to the really tiny jellyfish that gives terrible stings. Just curious.
@ldpaul That's really interesting, Linda, and I can see the parallels. @barbara Thanks very much Barbara. @petersonsheri Thanks Sheri. Where I live we have the Bluebottle (see my http://365project.org/girlie/365-3/2010-12-07) that can give a very nasty sting but isn't fatal. It's also known as the Portuguese Man O' War. When they're around we generally stay out of the water. But you may have been watching something about the terrible stingers in the tropical regions; these ones are deadly and anyone who swims in the sea in summer is taking their life into their hands. There are a number of them up there: small but shockingly painful and often deadly.
Lovely shot and interesting text. Lifesaving is a sort of art-form in your country and I have been fortunate to watch a couple of dramas enacted (but happily not involved in any of them).
This is such a wonderful photo of and tribute to the livesavers (we call them lifeguards in the US) in their Surf Rescue vehicle on patrol. What a dedicated bunch of volunteers. Love the history and current facts that you've shared. This is the perfect "S" post for your A-Z Challenge. Well done!
@ellida Thanks, Graham. Yes, it is a kind of art form! Great to watch. @ladydi@maggie2 Thanks Diana and Margaret. @peggysirk Thanks Peggy. In general, we used to call those who do paid work lifeguards, i.e. men and women employed to watch over public pools or to patrol the beaches out of season. The term is creeping across the boundaries though; see my photo for the 'A' challenge and my recent one of the lifesaver blowing his whistle to move people between the flags. They both have 'lifeguard' printed on their clothing. It's part of the dreaded Americanisation of our language (no offence meant by this, by the way; it's just happening).
I'm sure it was the little jellyfish in the tropical regions that I was thinking of, because they said they are only about the size of a thumbnail, but they can cause terrible debilitating pain and even death. Since I don't know that much about the Australia beaches, I wasn't sure if they were in all of them, or just in certain areas. It would make sense that you have tropical areas just like the U.S. I would much rather deal with the blue ones like I saw in your earlier picture than the little invisible ones!!
@petersonsheri Yes, you would have been hearing about the irukandji jellyfish in the tropics. I believe they've recently found some in the waters off Florida as well, brought there in some fashion. But the blue ones are horrible too, you wouldn't like them either. They can cause paralysis of your breathing as well as dreadful pain. About one third of our country is in the tropics, by the way; the north rather than the south because we're 'upside down'.
Fascinating history of these very important volunteer. Riding those dune buggies is a perk. Great shot of this aspect of the surf rescue. Your writing style is excellent btw. Thank you kindly for the fav.
Fun little vehicle. We use the term lifeguard for both pool & beach employees.They get paid here. Growing up in northern California, we didn't have lifeguards, just warning signs. Things have changed. Nice pic on what looks like a nice beach day.
Thanks for the very interesting story & history of surf rescue in Australia. I always look forward to your photos & narrative. I learn so much from you!
I love the vehicle. Robin, I have to ask...the color on this is really bright...is this photo edited or saturated a little or is that the way the sun shines in Australia? I always wonder about that but forget to ask you.
That is a fun picture ( it looks so colorful and toy like vehicle) and a nice tribute to the life savers. I wish here it were the same. Life servers in Israel are the ones who earn much much more than average wage and always demand more with their very strong union.
Love this tribute to lifesavers....that's what we call them here in SA! Never knew that it originated in Australia, but it doesn't surprise me at all. No pay for them here either and they also come in all shapes and sizes these days. When I was young they mostly looked like film stars, something straight out of Baywatch! This shot is wonderful Robin, so typical of summer.
So good to see your lifesavers. I was remarking last week while watching those on our coast that they seem to have a problem with the uniform baggies they wear. they all pulled the pockets out and tied a knot in them > I'm presuming to stop them filling with sand or water. Do your guys wear speedos or baggies
@wac Thankyou for the compliment, Wendy. @katrinacristy@dollybeads@pankaj@molizard@remcogreutink@lacedxxoo@teena@gill@redfl83@swrws Thanks so much, everyone. @isisweiss Thanks, Isis. We have very bright sunlight in Australia; I live in a rural area so no pollution, but even the cities are full of bright sunlight. The downside is, we have the highest skin cancer rates in the world! @yoelao It's probably not a bad thing that they are paid good money; they do a very important job. It's just that the ethos is different here. And I'm glad to know they have a strong union.
@hinhoutbay Thanks Henriette. I think they still look pretty attractive! @glyn Thanks Glynnis. When they're in the water, they wear speedos (another Australian invention! We call them 'budgie smugglers'; guess why?) When they're out they wear board shorts and long sleeves against the sun. You can see the clothes they wear in my shots of 2 Jan. and the female lifesaver on 28 Sept. in her water gear.
@girlie ~ it's amazing how bright it is. i love the light....never seen anything like that. you are so lucky...but do wear your sunblock with the highest SPF and be safe.
Thanks Robin for all that histroy on the surf lifesavers. We are now on the coast & the surf is so wild so i can appreciate the invaluable job that these volunteers do. Nice for your"S" and a wonderful capture.
Cool shot Robin...love those big puffy clouds are awesome! I had no idea these lifeguards did this on a voluntary basis...how commendable that they risk their own safety to protect and save others with no compensation.
thanks for taking the time to give me the history.
Today, we saw two people in need of the ski patrol. One young kid had fallen on a cat track (HARD packed snow) and despite his helmet, he was lying there unconcious. The second person was wrapped around a tree trunk with a severely broken leg. He was probably going to be air lifted to the hospital. Each of these incidents is a reminder to the rest of us to think twice about our adventures on the snow.