Bronze lifeguard statue near main lifeguard tower in Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA. Duck Feet and metal "can" rescue buoy were standard issue. Photo by Mike Johnson
According to lifeguard historian Michael T. Martino, the first recognized lifeguard group did not form on the sunny beaches of Southern California or Florida, nor even in the United States. The first lifeguard group was formed in 1708 in the Yangtze River region of China. They manned lifesaving stations, used special designed rescue vessels, and were funded by tax dollars. They were followed by the Dutch in 1767, and the English in 1774, who formed groups to rescue shipwrecked mariners. It was in 1785 that lifeguarding came to the U.S. along the Massachusetts coastline. Decades later, in 1848, the U.S. Congress passed an act forming the U.S. Lifesaving Service. Members of the service scanned the coastline from high towers and patrolled on foot and horseback searching for victims in distress. In these days, most rescues were performed by rowing rescue dories to the victims.
Lifeguard rescue dory Photo from" Lifeguards of San Diego County" by Michael T. Martino
Since that time, states, cities, counties, and private entities have taken over most near-shore marine safety functions. The modern image of lifeguards watching over beaches crowded with recreational bathers and swimmers didn't come about until 1907 when Hawaii born George Freeth moved to Southern California and helped to form lifeguard services for cities in Los Angeles County. In the early days, lifeguards primarily relied on their swimming and paddleboarding skills and their knowledge of the ocean- they didn't have much else to turn to. In recent decades, lifeguarding has taken advantage of an increasing body of knowledge and technological advances to become the profession that it is. Modern lifeguard agencies use vehicles, rescue vessels, aircraft, communications technology, dive rescue equipment, high-angle rescue equipment and advanced life support medical equipment all modified to support the marine rescue function. Still, with all that technology, most rescues are performed by a man, or woman, in the water, equipped with a rescue buoy, and a pair of fins.
A far cry from the dories of yore. Note the Duck Feet hanging below the rescue tube. Photo by Mike Martino
When Louis de Corlieu patented his swim fins in 1933 he described them as "a lifesaving and propelling device." I can find no documentation that his fins were actually used for lifesaving. I can find statements from life guards in the Los Angeles area describing how they purchased Churchill fins as early as 1940. They purchased them with their own money as they were not officially authorized equipment. Similarly, I can find accounts of life guards purchasing Duck Feet when they became available, soon after WWII. As with any new technology, it took a while for swim fins to become part of the lifeguards tool bag. Some guards who prided themselves on their swimming skills, saw fins as a substitute for watermanship. Others complained that the time it took to put fins on your feet cancelled out any benefit they may have provided. Receptivity to fins also depended on local ocean conditions such as beach profile, surf patterns, and whether the shoreline was sand, rock, or coral.
In the late 1950's Sergeant Bob Shea of the City of San Diego Lifeguard Service, perhaps shaped by his skin diving experience, began requiring that his guards wear fins on rescues. By the early 1960's, most Southern California agencies had this same requirement. From the information that I can find, it seems that Hawaii followed soon after, and East Coast beaches later still. The choice of fins seems to have varied by region too. Until recently, lifeguard agencies in San Diego County and California State Parks relied almost exclusively on Duck Feet. Many Los Angeles County guards were partial to Churchill's. Some argued that Churchills were easier to run in. It probably didn't hurt that Churchill was a local company with familial ties to the lifeguarding fraternity. In the past fifteen to twenty years, a variety of surf fins have become the official, and unofficial, choice of lifeguards and their agencies. In the U.S., in addition to Churchills and Duck Feet, fins by DaFins, Viper, Yucca, and other manufacturers are likely to be seen in any gathering of lifeguards. Many of these brands are also seen being used by lifeguards in other countries, as well as their local brands.
Even with PWC's modified for rescue work Duck Feet still have a role to play. Photo from "Our Lifeguard Family, Honoring Your Service The First 100 Years" by Richard Mark.
There is no way of knowing how many lives have been saved by lifeguards wearing fins where the rescue may not have been successful without fins. Nor is there anyway of knowing how many lifeguard lives may have been lost, without fins, under extreme ocean conditions. Many ocean lifeguards will only work a few seasons as a lifeguard before moving on in another career path. Some will return season after season for decades, and some will make it their full-time profession. Either way, lifeguarding is among the noblest of services. For almost eighty years, Duck Feet have been part of that service.
Historical information for this blog was acquired by a phone interview with Michael T. Martino and from the following sources.
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