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Spring Break marks start of season

Paul Stefon/Gulf Breeze News Beach chairs are out in anticipation of crowds coming for Spring Break. Lifeguards are beginning beach duty and Bob West, Safety Director for Pensacola Beach hopes they can continue to keep drownings to a minimum in Northwest Florida. Casino beach is now officially open to swimmers and lifeguards are on duty. With spring break right around the corner, Pensacola Beach Safety Director Bob West spoke with the Gulf Breeze News to share some interesting statistics about the island and the everchanging gulf.

At the beginning of March, the Santa Rosa Island Authority

SRIA) dispatched lifeguards and towers to Casino Beach, whose hours will be from 10

m. until 6 p.m. In April, the SRIA plans to open the Fort Pickens Gate in April, and Park East in May. Lifeguards and towers are pulled off the coast in October.

During the traditional tourist season, which is roughly March through mid September, lifeguards and safety staff keep track of interactions and rescues that happen on Pensacola Beach. West described contacts as anytime a lifeguard speaks to a person about safety. In 2004, they had 48,000 contacts, and in 2005 the number was 45,000. West described a preventative act as a verbal warning to swimmers about water conditions and current. In 2004, there were 4,400 preventative acts, and there were 11,400 in 2005.

"We had half as many calm days in 2005," West said.

West described a life-saving attempt as anytime lifeguards entered the water. In 2004, there were 360 life saving attempts, while in 2005, the number jumped to 662.

Next, West defined a situation of moderate distress as when a lifeguard helps someone swim back to shore. In 2004, there were 242 moderate distress situations, and in 2005, the number spiked to 424. West said an event of extreme distress is when a lifeguard is involved in a potential drowning. In 2004, extreme distress was catalogued 134 times, and in 2005, it was 238.

The State of Florida has a flag system that most beach residents are familiar with. A green flag represents calm conditions, a yellow flag means moderate surf, a red flag represents high surf and strong current and a double red flag means the beach is officially closed to swimmers. In 2004 Pensacola Beach had 23 red flag days and 50 in 2005. In 2004 the beach saw 107 green flag days and 79 in 2005.