Published April 1st, 2026
BY RUBY IRANMANESH
For years, Carmel High School students have dedicated their time as California State lifeguards to protecting Monterey County’s state beaches, community members and visitors, balancing the challenges of high school with the duties of a hands-on professional job.
Currently, CHS seniors Landon Onitsuka and Dylan Chhor serve as seasonal California State Lifeguard I’s and will work this summer. Both students earned their lifeguard position during their junior year after completing several requirements: a timed 1,000-yard open-water swim, a timed run-swim-run, an in-person interview and an eight-day training session at Huntington Beach.
CHS seniors Landon Onitsuka and Dylan Chhor (from left) serve as California State lifeguards during the summer season, helping keep community members and visitors safe from ocean risks. Photo by YUJI ONITSUKA
“Sometimes you don’t really grasp how serious of a job it is,” says Chhor. “You are responsible for people’s safety and their lives. But throughout my time as a lifeguard, I’ve learned how to stay calm under pressure and stay focused because you never know when something is going to happen.”
Each student’s journey of becoming a lifeguard has been different.
“I lived in Salinas before, so I never did any lifeguard camps,” says Onitsuka. “I’ve always loved the beach and a lot of my friends were becoming lifeguards, so I decided to try it too.”
Chhor, however, participated in the Junior Guards Summer Program for about 12 years and worked his way up from the youngest group to an assistant lifeguard position and finally a California State lifeguard.
“I’ve always wanted to become a lifeguard because it’s fun, and I like the ocean,” says the former junior guard. “I get to do everything that I wanted to do as a kid.”
Both students emphasize that the eight-day training at Huntington Beach, paid for by California State Parks, is by far the most difficult step of becoming a lifeguard. Throughout the session, trainees practice physical skills in the ocean and on shore, spending the rest of the time in a classroom setting taking tests and receiving lectures.
“During the Huntington training, you do daily workouts called vitamins,” says Onitsuka. “There’s usually a lot of running and swimming, then you’re in the classroom by 7 a.m. In the classroom, you learn a lot about anatomy, ocean safety and the different injuries that can happen. Going to Huntington is actually really fun.”
Both students trained from 5 a.m. until around 7 p.m. for all eight days to earn the position.
California State lifeguards in training are required to attend an eight-day program at Huntington Beach where they learn physical skills on-shore and in the water before becoming a professional lifeguard. courtesy of CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS
Besides demonstrating athletic ability and important tasks, trainees must also possess adequate personality traits and characteristics. For example, collaboration is a key skill that individuals are required to demonstrate in order to earn the position because lifeguards are constantly working together on the job.
“We are always looking for people who are team players,” says permanent intermittent lifeguard Nate Elmore. “It’s all about what they can do as a team to help somebody in the water. Also, because we are interacting with the public, it is important to possess good leadership qualities.”
Lifeguards emphasize that it is essential for beginner lifeguards to respect higher authorities at all times, similar to the military.
“Being a lifeguard checks your ego for sure,” says 23-year-old CHS alum Quinn Nachbar, a seasonal Lifeguard II. “Interacting with older lifeguards teaches you humility and respect because we follow a chain of command. It’s also a big responsibility for a 16-year-old, especially in Monterey, because we only have one tower per beach.”
As summer approaches, Chhor and Onitsuka will return to Monterey beaches to continue protecting visitors and community members. Although both plan to attend college after high school, the two student lifeguards say they will most likely return to Monterey to work as lifeguards during college summers and may even try to work at other beaches throughout California.
While Dylan Chhor and Landon Onitsuka are graduating this year, sophomores Chase Jones and Oliver Cogley, along with two other CHS students, are currently beginning the process of becoming a California State lifeguard, continuing the tradition.
