Myrtle Beach is expected to have its busiest summer since before the pandemic. Tourist-reliant businesses all over the Grand Strand are preparing for an influx of visitors and the city’s beach services are no exception.
The Grand Strand is home to a few beach service companies such as John’s Beach Service, which helps to provide beach attendees with chair and umbrella rentals along with lifeguards posted in numerous areas among the beaches.
“Historically, lifeguards have been dual-role, so for the longest time, even dating back to the 40s and 50s and ever since people started vacationing in Myrtle Beach, lifeguards have been dual-role,” said Nick Jackson, owner of John’s Beach Service.
When a beach lifeguard holds a dual-role, that means they are tasked with handling rentals and other services to people on the sand while also watching the water for any potential dangers or people in danger. John’s Beach Service, however, is moving away from this method.
“During the last couple of years, we’ve migrated away from that model to where now we’re literally right in the middle of separating the drills to where we’ve got a lifeguard in a tower, and their exclusive responsibility is to watch the water. And then we’ve got an attendant who was still a certified lifeguard, but they are dealing with rentals,” Jackson said. “The lifeguards’ only responsibility is watching the water.”
Jackson hopes for John’s Beach Service to have around 60 lifeguards hired this summer. He says that first-year lifeguards working with his beach service will make $12 an hour.
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