A total of 61 female lifeguards from 16 beach towns attended the South Jersey Women's Lifeguard Conference in Sea Isle City. (Photo courtesy of Sea Isle City)
Beachgoers shouldn’t be surprised if they see more women sitting in the lifeguard stands at the Jersey Shore this summer.
In Sea Isle City, for instance, the 28-member class of rookie lifeguards for the 2025 summer season includes 15 females and 13 males, the city announced Monday.
The South Jersey Women’s Lifeguard Conference, held in Sea Isle on June 26, underscored the growing importance of female members of beach patrols along the coast.
Sixty-one women lifeguards from 16 towns were in attendance: Atlantic City, Avalon, Cape May, Cape May Point, Longport, Margate, North Wildwood, Ocean City, Ocean Grove, Sea Bright, Sea Girt, Sea Isle City, Upper Township, Ventnor, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.
The conference served as a way for female lifeguards to strengthen communication between the shore towns and to network among themselves, organizer Bridget O’Hanlon said.
“It was a pleasure to organize and host this event the past two years,” O’Hanlon said in a news release. “This conference allows the community of female lifeguards to gather and network to support each other. Since we met early in the season, the girls left with words of inspiration from our speakers, ideas to bring back to their beach patrols, and goals to work on this summer.”
Kaylee Dougherty, left, and Bridget O’Hanlon, share the 40th Street lifeguard stand in 2024.The lifeguards attending the conference received donated and discounted food for breakfast and lunch from several local businesses, including Maryanne Pastry Shoppe, Playa Bowls Sea Isle City, Shorebreak Cafe, McGowan’s Deli and Cafe, Giovanni's Delicatessen and Philly Pretzel Factory Sea Isle.
In addition to guest speakers, Peg Lawlor Hutchinson and Becky Lederer, the conference included a representative from Kane Dermatology who spoke to the lifeguards about sun and skin protection. Afterwards, the group ended the day with a beach workout, organized by Surfside Fitness.
Overall, 38 percent of Sea Isle’s beach patrol is made of women and 53 percent of the 2025 rookie class is comprised of female lifeguards, O’Hanlon pointed out.
Thirteen of the rookies participated in Sea Isle Beach Patrol Junior Lifeguards programs, which are designed to develop future guards.
Two rookies are year-round Sea Isle residents and five are year-round Cape May County residents. Additionally, four are the children or grandchildren of former Sea Isle lifeguards.
For more information about the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol, visit www.sicbp.com.
Sea Isle City's 2025 class of rookie lifeguards is comprised of 15 females and 13 males. (Photo courtesy of Sea Isle City)
