Sunday, September 24, 2017

Spy Photos - Baywatch Reconnaissance: Sunday Afternoon, Sept. 24, 2017





Dateline: Sunday afternoon along Santa Monica South at Ocean Park, adjacent to Lifeguard Tower #26... after returning from the annual Abbot Kinney Festival in Venice, I noticed one of the LACoFD Lifeguard Division Baywatch rescue boats heading toward the Santa Monica Pier and a few minutes later returning back in the direction of Marina Del Rey...  On board, 3 VIP's, in addition to the Boat Captain and deckhand.....


Below, cameo at SMS26 by OLS Ryan Berry waving to Baywatch...



and there they go.....


... and here they are again.....













Below, Baywatch stage left, Pelican stage right...


Meanwhile, watching the water at SMS24 is veteran LACo OL, Chuck Locko...


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Until next time.....


"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

(All photos by & Copyright Will Maguire 2017.)


Friday, September 22, 2017

OLS Recheck Reconn - The Sequel: Friday, Sept. 22, 2017



Dateline: Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, 0800 hrs approximately, from the bluffs above WRHQ, followed by a site visit again to WRHQ and the buoy course set up for the semi-annual OLS recheck swim, this year at WRHQ due to ongoing construction and remodeling at the Training Center in Manhattan Beach.

I did the swim again this morning (by myself just for the heck of it), though this time in reverse. Same timing... 3 minutes out to first buoy, 6 minutes buoy to buoy, and then 3 minutes back to shore. Total time approx. 12 minutes.  This is a long recheck swim that has a 13 minutes cut off time.  Not everyone is going to make this time limit, in my opinion. (*** caveat: board shorts time (again))...

In any case, here are this morning's photos, plus 3 new videos...

From the bluffs.....




*** Video Alert ! ***

•  Video #1: OLS Recheck Swim Course Reconn, 09.22.2017

     https://youtu.be/ubcZU2qYAgE

•  Video #2:  OLS Recheck Swim Course Reconn, 09.22.2017

     https://youtu.be/MAizTYpGMlo








Below, Pali High surf class early risers getting ready to hit the surf...






Below, Pali High Surf Class students hit the surf!...  #truestory


Time out... at Gelson's for some donuts and pastries.....


Arrival at Will Rogers State Beach...


Arrival at WRHQ where this morning's OLS recheck has already begun...


*** Video Alert ! ***

Ambulance on PCH: The Video

     https://youtu.be/-9BSiX3kaQ4

Below, Pali High Surf Class in session at the jetty off of WRHQ...



Second buoy visible in background below off of the jetty at Will Rogers Tower #12...


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Until next time.....

"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

(All photos and videos by & Copyright Will Maguire 2017.)

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Thursday, September 21, 2017

OLS Recheck Reconn - Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017



Dateline: Thursday morning, Sept. 21, 2017, at Will Rogers Lifeguard Headquarters. This morning I stopped by WRHQ to swim the OLS Recheck Swim buoy course set up temporarily off of WRHQ.

Two large orange buoys are set up with one buoy about 20 yards north of the WRHQ jetty and perhaps a 100 yards off shore and the second buoy straight off the jetty out front of Will Rogers Tower #12 and also about 100 yards off shore.  I clocked in at the 2nd buoy at approx. 9 minutes and finished up on the beach at 12 minutes.  This is a longer swim than 500 meters, in my opinion.  I would peg it at  closer to 600 meters.  The powers that be said this OLS buoy course was a "tad bit long" but I think it is more than that... just sayin'...

Easy enough to measure it if you have the right measuring equipment.  By way of comparison the OL recheck swim course in Manhattan Beach this past June was much shorter. Indeed, I swam that shorter course in just over 8 minutes, so this OLS course at WRHQ is significantly longer... again, just sayin'...

*** It would be good if someone could measure the buoy course at WRHQ today or tomorrow so that we know for sure, even if just for the heck of it. ***

Below are some photos plus a video I shot this morning, fyi...


Close up, below, of first orange buoy just north of WRHQ jetty...





Close up, below, of the second orange buoy off of WR Tower #12 (as seen through the railing of WR 14)...




*** Video Alert ! ***

First Buoy: The Video

     https://youtu.be/5Vyfgx0c2Aw

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OLS staff on a recheck break, below... shot from a long distance away so as not to be obtrusive...


Out of a great deal of circumspection and deliberation, I chose not to take a bunch of photos of our permanent staff in uniform, even though I know that our audience loves to see photos of their friends and colleagues.  I saw young OLS Chris Newman, for example, and do not yet have a photo of him as an OLS... so that will have to wait.  JVD opted out of a photo opp. and I did not want to press my luck in asking for a photo of Section Chief Chris Linkletter, even though our So. Section audience would have loved to see a photo of Chris in her black Class A Uniform (thanks OLS Jeff Hart for the correction on uniform color).

LIFEGUARD TRIVIA CONTEST BELOW:  What's up with the yellow LACo Lifeguard Truck?  Anybody recognize it?


Answer: Probably LACo Lakes personnel (Castaic)... as per OLS Jeff Hart. Thanks Jeff!


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Until next time.....


"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

(All photos by & Copyright Will Maguire 2017.)

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