Los Cabos Adding Lifeguards Ahead Of Spring Season To Keep Tourists Safe

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Last Updated 1 year ago

Local authorities in Los Cabos are hopeful that at least 20 new lifeguards will look after tourists this spring season. These 20 new recruits have gone through all of the necessary training to certify themselves as lifeguards and look after people on Cabo beaches. Whether or not these lifeguards are going to go into service, though, is still up in the air.

At least 50,000 tourists are expected to arrive in Los Cabos through the entire spring season on vacation. Since the peak season is approaching, it was important for authorities to incorporate these new recruits. The coordinator of Zofemat, the federal agency that looks after Cabo beaches, recognized that the agency was a bit understaffed.

With these 20 new recruits, they at least have one more lifeguard to add to the rotation on almost all of the 22 beaches that they look after in Los Cabos.

Local Authorities Recognize That Beaches Are Understaffed

Adding 20 new recruits to the group of lifeguards that currently watch over Cabo beaches is a good upgrade heading into the peak season. However, local authorities recognize that many of the popular Cabo beaches are understaffed in this department. Jorge Alonso Meza of Zofemat addressed the issue, saying, 

“We have lifeguards for the certified beaches, but we see a very great need in this area, because we cannot keep up with the lifeguards we have. Fortunately, a group of lifeguards has graduated this past week through Civil Protection, which we are about to incorporate “

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Not All Cabo Beaches Are Going To Feature LifeGuards On Duty 

Only 25 beaches in Los Cabos have a lifeguard on duty. In fact, at the beginning of the year, Jorge Alonso Meza recognized that no more Cabo beaches were going to apply for blue flag certification. This was largely due to the fact the organization did not have the funds to add staff to clean up the beaches or add lifeguards to keep people safe. 

With that being said, it is also true that most of the popular beaches in Los Cabos are going to have a lifeguard on duty during operating hours. These include beaches like El Medano beach, Acapulquito, La Viudas, and Chileno Bay. Also, the Grand Fiesta Americana Los Cabos, Grand Velas Los Cabos, and the Paradisus Los Cabos beaches have a lifeguard on duty.

The difference between these last 3 beaches and the others is that these last 3 are operated by the resorts that call the beaches home. There’s a good chance that these beaches will be better staffed than the public properties.

Potential Increase In Police & Military Presence Expected This Spring

Even though there are potentially not going to be too many lifeguards on duty, just based on the fact that there are not that many certified lifeguards in the region, police and military personnel will help fill that void.

The local police force mentioned that around 180 officers would be patrolling Los Cabos throughout the spring. There’s also a specialized tourist police force that operates in the area. Authorities mentioned that it’s necessary for different branches to work together to ensure the safety of tourists throughout the spring. 

Speaking of working together, the local lifeguards can also get a hand from coast guard authorities that operate in the region. Both lifeguards and the coast guard have been known to work together successfully in different rescue efforts on Cabo shores. With the clear lack of staff on the part of the lifeguards, it’s the coast guard that may have to step in and help in many of these cases. 

Even on beaches that do have active lifeguards on duty, tourists heading to Los Cabos should know that these lifeguards typically only work 12-hour shifts. From 7am to 7pm, which are the operating hours of most Cabo beaches. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t swim in the ocean past 7. It does mean that you’d be doing so without a lifeguard on duty.