A Girl Lifeguard

Diana Slowsky - A Girl Lifeguard? Oh My!

2004

Our family landed in Laguna Beach when I was 8 years old. At that same age my brethren (four of us) were introduced to the Ocean and the wonders she holds, thus starting a romance that would last a lifetime. Beach chairs, duck fins, Frisbees, volleyball, and of course a fierce ownership of our “Lifeguard”. You must understand that each beach, mine being Mountain Road, had its own designated lifeguard and around each lifeguard’s station only the locals were allowed. God forbid that a tourist would dare place his chair near “our” Lifeguard. When I grew up, Art Smart was our guard and he put up with an awful lot as the adoptive watcher over so many young seals.

We grew up with such icons as Dale Ghere, Jack Lincke, Punky Parlette, John (Big John) Parlette, and Dean Westgaard to name just a few. My brother (John Slowsky) and many of our friends (Charlie Ware, Billie Brown, Diggar Ware, Jeff Quam and on, and on…) went through the Junior Guard Program run by Dale Ghere and went on to become full-time guards themselves. It was this same gang that supported my crazy idea of becoming a lifeguard – why not? Everyone I ran with was one; being a girl should not make such a big deal, right? Well, there was a small hiccup to my plan; I was a diver at Laguna Beach High School, not a swimmer! So now started the weeks of learning how to swim for speed (Jack Lincke and my brother John instructing) and then hours of open ocean swimming with someone either paddling (John, et. al.) along side me or at the beach with time clocks; but always someone was there mentally giving me that extra push to achieve this goal.

After becoming a lifeguard, which is another complete story in itself, one of my extra duties included running the “Mermaid Program” for little girls under the age of 12. Now when you are a local and have grown up around the water like I have, you develop knowledge of your environment that you just take for granted as being “fun,” and these “fun” adventures would include: body-surfing on red flag days, jumping off the Arches, swimming out to all of the off-shore reefs and climbing on them regardless of waves or not, and of course, diving through the Woods Cove blow-hole!

Yes, that’s a great idea! I will take my little mermaids (“little” being the operative word here,) and teach them how to play in the blow-hole. After all, they are all local girls aren’t they? Eventually they would want to do it anyway, or so it was my thinking.

So during one class I made the announcement that within the next two weeks, surf conditions acceptable, we would all convene at Woods Cove point and I would hold a class at the infamous blow-hole. When the news reached the ears of our Chief, Bruce Baird, on what I had on the schedule for my mermaids, the color in his face went completely white… hmmmm, not exactly the reaction I had expected. “What? Teach them something that could cause bodily injury?” “Where are their release forms? What about a possible lawsuit directed at the City if something goes wrong?” Okay, so I never considered any of this – oops, I’m just a water woman teaching the arts to young water women. But hey! A promise is a promise and the date was set. I did eventually get the permission slips from all the girls albeit still with my Chief’s apprehension.

We had approximately 15 girls that day; (since it is my storyJ), I’d say that it seemed we had the same number of guards participating as well, the Chief’s contribution. I had guards instructed to watch the rise and fall of the incoming swells, guards positioned floating in the water and guards along on the rocks. I then took the lead by showing the girls what to do: first timing the incoming swell that filled the bowl, holding my breath and then diving into the darkness and being “flushed” out with the swell, and finally surfacing in the channel, thus showing the girls there’s nothing to it. With a grin and a gulp of air I dove back down for the return trip down back through the small opening and rose once again with the incoming swell back in the bowl. Then it was their turn; one by one they made the plunge as I went with them through the hole using the timing of the swells, avoiding any sets on that calm day.

The excitement of the accomplishment was definitely contagious. It grew and grew with each successful participant completing the round trip; cheers and screams erupted from everyone participating and watching. We had started attracting a crowd from tourists that saw the abundant color of red swimwear on the rocks and heard all the laughter and screaming. I remember seeing the tourists’ faces as they looked in amazement at these little girls, laughing and so excited to take their turn for the plunge. It went better than any of us could have hoped. As each little mermaid entered the water, she was taught how to watch and time the swells before making the plunge, how to swim with your eyes open so you could follow the swell out through the underwater hole, how to climb back up onto rocks leading with your feet without getting cut, and even how to use life saving techniques for rescuing someone who had fallen victim into the rocks. Yes! Each one took her turn with me and then did it by herself, jumping into the hole, swimming out through the opening and back in again with the next incoming swell. As each little face came up beaming, looking into my eyes as I waited for their return, I couldn’t have been more proud.

At the end of the day, each girl went home with a brand new experience and I think the male Lifeguards who assisted as a collective whole garnered an unforgettable memory as well. With clear direction and the confidence of passing on the knowledge, no one was hurt in the slightest,J not so much as scratch was had! A few years later one of those little mermaids did become a lifeguard, Ingrid Loos, I was doubly proud to have been a part of her development.

In all seriousness, the training, team work, individual names, experiences, laughter and tears have given me a very rich life which at times still encourages me to push the envelope, and I’m grateful for it. I would sincerely encourage all young ladies to strive to become Lifeguards; your world will become richer for it.

Diana Cook (Slowsky)