"It's reassuring for little ones going into the water": Surveillance of Gironde beaches has begun in seaside resorts

Lacanau and Montalivet are the first to activate their surveillance system. This decision was motivated by an increase in attendance from the spring holidays onwards. On the beach, the public appreciates it.

The beach lifeguard season has begun. In Lacanau and Vendays-Montalivet, among the most popular beaches in Gironde, lifeguard stations are open in the central areas. The Canaulais lifeguards have been in place since the weekend of April 26 and 27, while Montalivet activated its lifeguard station at the start of the Easter holidays. These two seaside resorts are the only ones in the department to offer such an early and long-term system, with lifeguarding extended until the fall.

As early as Sunday, April 27, Lacanau lifeguards had to intervene for the first time on the North Beach. Shortly before noon, three lifeguards from the central station rescued two surfers in difficulty, caught in a particularly violent rip current , with solid waves exceeding 1.50 m. In water at 14°C, two lifeguards had to go far out to sea to bring the surfers back to the beach. More fear than harm.

Lacanau's central beach is now supervised daily until October 5. In Montalivet, lifeguards operate during school holidays, then on weekends before becoming continuous in summer. "We're very weather-dependent," explains Guillaume Counilh, lifeguard manager for Lacanau, Carcans, and Hourtin. "As the water is still very cool, there are few swimmers, but if the temperature rises, the number of swimmers increases very quickly." With the spring break in Zone A (Bordeaux) and glorious weather forecast until Wednesday, April 30, lifeguards are on standby.

"Before, in October, the beaches were deserted. Today, some weekends in September or October are busier than those in July."

"People are often surprised to discover that the beach is already supervised, but they are very happy about it," the manager emphasizes. "We have communicated on social media, in the press, but reaching the entire public remains difficult." On the central beach of Lacanau, Monday, April 28, as the thermometer hovered around 25°C, Laëtitia's family, who came from Cenon, confirmed this observation. "We usually come here because the shops are open. It's convenient with children," she says. "We saw the lifeguards when we arrived, we didn't know the beach was already supervised. It's reassuring for the little ones who go in the water."

In addition to swimmers, lifeguards also intervene for surfers, who are very active from spring onwards. "The incidents mainly concern beginners, who are ill-prepared for the conditions," explains Guillaume Counilh. "These remain minor injuries: sprains, dislocations, or sometimes cuts caused by leashes [an attachment to prevent the board from being lost, editor's note] and fins."

Another notable development: seasonal surfing is now attracting more and more visitors. "Before, the beaches were deserted in October. Today, some weekends in September or October are busier than those in July," notes a surf instructor at the Canal du Midi resort, who has witnessed this change. This trend is driven by the growing population of the Bordeaux metropolitan area and the desire to escape to the coast, the attraction of board sports. In this context, the question of year-round coastal surveillance is on the table.

The Landes Department, along with the Joint Swimming Pool Management Association, has decided to launch this project, the first of its kind in Europe. It aims to recruit 24 permanent staff to patrol year-round and carry out prevention activities. This ambitious initiative is also raising questions in Gironde. "It's an interesting project, but I have mixed feelings. We'll be paying close attention to what they do," said Laurent Peyrondet, mayor of Lacanau and president of the Gironde Beaches Single-Purpose Association (SIVU). For him, "it's better to increase surveillance during the seasonal periods—April, May, June, September, October—rather than maintaining a presence year-round, especially in winter when attendance remains very low. Between Easter and All Saints' Day, that's when we see the majority of attendance and incidents."