Lifeguards in Red: The Guardians of the Beach

The story of ocean lifeguards, from early surfer-rescuers to today's professionals, why red became their color, and why the WBS red is our salute to the people who watch over the water.

Look down almost any guarded beach and you’ll spot them: a tower, a rescue buoy, and a lifeguard dressed in bright red, eyes on the water. Lifeguards are some of the most skilled watermen and waterwomen on the coast. Their job is simple to describe and hard to do: keep people safe in the ocean.

At White Belt Surfer, the red in our logo is a salute to them.

Where Ocean Lifeguarding Began

Organized beach lifesaving grew in the early 1900s, as more people began visiting beaches to swim and play in the surf.

In Australia, volunteer surf lifesaving clubs began forming in the early 1900s on Sydney’s beaches. Their tradition of volunteer patrols grew into one of the world’s largest surf lifesaving movements.

In California, Hawaiian surfer George Freeth arrived in 1907 to give surfing demonstrations and soon became one of the state’s first professional ocean lifeguards. He was a powerful swimmer who understood waves and currents, and he was honored for daring rescues in rough water. Freeth helped show that a lifeguard needed to be a true waterman, not just a good swimmer.

Duke and the Surfboard Rescue

On June 14, 1925, Duke Kahanamoku used his surfboard to rescue eight people after a fishing boat capsized in heavy surf at Newport Beach, California. The rescue is often credited with helping show lifeguards how useful a board could be for reaching people quickly and keeping them afloat. Rescue boards remain an important tool for lifeguards today.

Read the full story in our feature on Duke Kahanamoku.

Why Red?

Red is one of the most recognizable colors in beach safety, and for good reason: it stands out. Against blue water, white foam, and tan sand, a lifeguard in red is easy to spot. That matters when a swimmer needs help, when a lifeguard needs to be seen in the water, or when beachgoers need to find the nearest tower.

Different agencies and countries use their own uniforms and colors. In Australia, for example, volunteer surf lifesavers are famous for their red-and-yellow caps, and red-and-yellow flags mark the safest patrolled area of the beach. In the United States, red swimsuits and red rescue equipment have long been associated with ocean lifeguards on many beaches.

Red means help is here. That’s why it became the color of the people who watch the water.

The Tools of the Trade

Lifeguards have always used whatever helps them reach people fastest and keep everyone afloat:

• Rescue cans. Early metal rescue buoys date back to the late 1800s. Today’s lightweight plastic rescue cans have handles that swimmers can grab and hold.
• Rescue tubes. In 1935, lifeguard Pete Peterson developed a flexible rescue tube. Modern foam versions wrap around a swimmer and clip closed, and they’re standard equipment on many beaches.
• Rescue boards. Long, stable paddleboards that let lifeguards cover distance quickly through the surf.
• Fins, radios, binoculars, and first-aid kits. The everyday gear for spotting trouble and responding.
• Vehicles and personal watercraft. Many agencies now use trucks, boats, and rescue watercraft to reach people faster.

What Lifeguards Do Every Day

Rescues are the dramatic part of the job, but most of a lifeguard’s work is about preventing trouble before it starts. A typical day might include:

• Watching the water for swimmers who are struggling or drifting toward danger
• Spotting rip currents and moving people away from them
• Giving advice about conditions, hazards, and where it’s safe to swim or surf
• Providing first aid for cuts, stings, sunburn, and heat illness
• Finding lost children and reuniting families
• Enforcing beach rules that keep swimmers and surfers safe from each other
• Training constantly with swims, runs, paddles, and rescue drills

In the United States, the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) is a nonprofit professional association of beach and open-water lifeguards that promotes training standards and public education about ocean safety.

Baywatch and the Red Swimsuit

For millions of people around the world, the image of a lifeguard in red comes from television. Baywatch aired from 1989 to 2001 and followed a team of lifeguards on Southern California beaches. After its first season, it continued in syndication and became a global phenomenon, often described as one of the most-watched shows in the world.

The show made the red lifeguard swimsuit famous in countries everywhere, including places far from the ocean.

For White Belt Surfer founder Nick Arndt, Baywatch was more than a TV show. He grew up loving it, and watching it helped him learn English. The WBS red honors the real lifeguards in red trunks, the people whose work inspired the show and who protect beachgoers every day.

How to Respect and Help Lifeguards

You can make a lifeguard’s job easier, and keep yourself safer, with a few simple habits:

1. Swim and surf near a lifeguard tower whenever possible.
2. Check in when you arrive. Ask about rip currents, hazards, and conditions. Lifeguards are happy to help.
3. Follow flags and signs. They’re there for a reason.
4. Know your limits. If the surf looks too big, it probably is. There’s no shame in sitting one out.
5. Keep a close eye on your kids. Lifeguards watch the whole beach, so children still need their own grown-up watching them.
6. Don’t distract the lifeguard on duty from watching the water.
7. If you see someone in trouble, tell a lifeguard immediately or call 911 on unguarded beaches.

New to the ocean? Our Learn to Surf guides cover ocean safety basics, and our Surf Lingo dictionary explains terms like “rip current” and “lineup.”

A Legacy of Watermen

Many surfing legends were also lifeguards. Eddie Aikau became the first lifeguard hired by the City and County of Honolulu to work the North Shore, guarding Waimea Bay. Rell Sunn is remembered as Hawaiʻi’s first female lifeguard. Meet more of them in Surfing Legends.

Lifeguarding and surfing have always been connected. Both demand respect for the ocean, constant learning, and a willingness to help others.

Why WBS Red Salutes Lifeguards

The white belt represents beginnings. The red represents the people who make it safe to begin.

Every new surfer paddles out a little nervous. Knowing that a trained lifeguard is watching the water makes that first step possible for many of us.

So the next time you see someone in red on a tower, give a wave. They’ve got your back.