La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Tower

What a beautiful structure. Stricken with years of bureaucratic red tape this tower sits right in the middle of the Shores beach line. It’s modern Frank Lloyd Wright-​like design brings the focus from the main building up and out to a background filled with cliffs and para-​sailers in the sky line. A great land mark for your family to meet up after a busy day of hittin’ the waves, local eats, and just plain spending the day at the beach. The strutting structure is a beautiful addition to the skyline upgrading from the old blue fiberglass stations that once littered the beaches of California.

Sorry La Jolla shores lifeguards, you’re taking the hit for this one as I can’t review the jerk I encountered at the La Jolla coves this past Friday anywhere else. I’ve lived here for years and Friday was my friend’s first day in San Diego ever. Of course the first place I had to take him was the cove. We went through the gate on the white fence at the top of the cove and were hanging out on the cliffs below. My friend went further down the cliff and and a sea lion come out of the water and walked RIGHT BY HIM onto the rock above to do some sunbathing. How awesome is that?! Shortly after, uh oh, here comes unnamed lifeguard I’ll refer to as «Mr. 40 year old blonde washed up lifeguard on a power trip». Asked my friend to come back up from the water. No problem, did as he was asked.
So this jerk continues, «In case you didn’t notice there’s signs that say don’t approach the sea life». My friend responds, «actually, I didn’t approach him» and the lifeguard responds «Actually, you did. You have one up here and one swimming around down there, you don’t know what their plan is, you’re in their natural habitat. Realize you’re dealing with something called a SEA LION.»
I’d watched the entire thing myself and actually he had not approached them. In fact, the sea lion in question approached HIM. But this guy and his cocky attitude… What the hell was that? My friend quickly complied and did not argue with anything he said yet he continued yapping and decided to be a total d*ck for no reason whatsoever. There’s a way to say anything tactfully, and that was so out of line. You need to realize people are there trying to enjoy their day and their vacation. Sure cop an attitude when someone’s arguing or not listening, fine. Not when they haven’t done a darn thing. Furthermore, have you seen some of the photos from the coves on Unilocal?People frequently get very close to the sea life. Me? I’m too chicken but hey. Just sayin.
I get it you’re left with this because you epically failed at either surfing championships or coast guard back in the day but you don’t have to be a jerk, nor do you need to take it out on someone else for no reason.

We had an incident with one of the life guards at La Jolla Shores on Tuesday, 6÷24÷14. There was a rude and disrespectful comment made to my partner, who is an African American male, we were getting ready to leave and taking the trash out of the car in the parking lot and he asked one of the life guards where the trash can was to where the lifeguard J. Gonzalez responded, «Stop talking to him, you’re wasting our time.» I feel as though this incident is similar to many racially motivated microaggressions I have seen from other public service officials in San Diego where elitism and racism is running rampant. Had my partner been a white man would the response been different? Had my partner been a white female would your lifeguard acted differently? Instead of being rude he could have easily pointed my partner in the direction of the trash cans, it’s common courtesy anyone with manners is capable of.
I will be filling out a formal incident report. Upon leaving your beach my daughter said that she never wants to go there again. The way we were treated is completely uncalled for and we feel very disrespected and rightfully so. I spoke with a Sgt. Owens and hopefully this lifeguard will be reprimanded for his inappropriate behavior, lack of professionalism, and customer service.

Some people stand in the darkness
Afraid to step into the light
Some people need to help somebody
When the edge of surrender’s in sight
Don’t you worry
It’s gonna be okey
Cause I’m always ready
I won’t let you out of my sight.
I’ll be ready
I’ll be ready
Never you fear
No don’t you fear
I’ll be ready
Forever and always
I’m always here.
(Yelpers born after 1990ish won’t understand this review)

I’ve been here a few times. My kids have stepped on bees, fallen and scraped their knees and I’ve been stung by a jellyfish. The lifeguards are so nice and helpful. They have given us advice and bandaged up my kids scrapes. They also have a medicine for bee stings. I never knew!
I always feel safe at this beach with my family because of the lifeguards here.

This is a separate Unilocal apart from another La Jolla Shores beach Unilocal about how awesome the City of San Diego Lifeguards are here. On July 14-​the first sunny day in a while, about 35 people were stung by stingrays between 2:30 p.m. and 4
La Jolla Shores and Torrey Pines/Black’s Beach. Three victims had severe enough reactions to require medical transport to a hospital!
I happened to be leaving the beach at that very moment to go pick up my son. I was passing by the Lifeguard Tower and heard a big commotion, It was a poor women moaning and crying in agony over her sting ray injury-​and the Lifeguards had an oxygen mask and blood pressure cuff on her! It was absolutely mortifying, especially as more new, young victims limped up to the Lifeguard Tower for some hot water in a bucket to soak their sting ray bites in.
Through all this drama and contretemps, the La Jolla Shores Lifeguards were wonderful! They set up a Triage Tent and began treating all the victims, eventually calling for back-​up help from City Medics and Firetrucks. In fact, San Diego Lifeguard Sgt. John Sandmeyer said: «That there were so many victims at once was pretty significant,» Usually by this time of day they’re (the sting rays) scared out pretty far.“
In the Union/​Tribune, Sandmeyer had his own theory about why there were so many stings today.“Three weeks of clouds kept the stingrays comfortable with not a lot of beach people,” he said. «All of a sudden yesterday it just clicked and everybody’s in the water. We had 20 (stings) yesterday and 35 up till now (today).» «It was happening all up and down the coast for about an hour,» said San Diego Fire-​Rescue Captain Thomas Morris, adding most sting victims weren’t doing the «stingray shuffle.»
This popular beach-​approximately one mile long, has some of the best swimming in all of San
summer, the waves here are usually the most gentle of all San Diego beaches, although rip currents may still be strong at times.
The La Jolla Shores Lifeguard Tower sits prominently on the beach and has the thankless task of watching a multitude of beach-​goers; many of which are clueless out-​of-​town visitors. I was very impressed by how they handled the safety emergency yesterday with the string ray victims. Even though I recognized a sergeant from my son”s Junior Lifeguard days, I was so transfixed watching them work so hard and fast, that I didn’t want to interrupt.
I hope all the victims have recovered sufficiently well and realize how lucky they are to have such excellent
care available to them. The cream of the City Lifeguard crop must be at this beach. No-​I am not a Lifeguard groupie, because I was once one myself but I can surely recognize superior city services as I saw here at the summer sting ray emergency. 5 Unilocal STARS ALL THE WAY!