The 2026 South Atlantic Lifesaving Association (SALA) Regional Lifeguard Championship will take place this week in Jacksonville Beach, bringing together some of the Southeast's top ocean lifeguards for two days of competition.
Events begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday and continue at 8 a.m. Thursday at the oceanfront near Latham Plaza.
Members of Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue and the American Red Cross Volunteer Life Saving Corps (VLSC) will compete in separate divisions for individual and team honors while celebrating the tradition, skill and camaraderie of the lifesaving profession.
"The VLSC partnered with the city to help facilitate the event and put the whole thing on, but we will be competing as two separate teams," said Lt. Jason Jennings of Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue.
Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue will compete in the A Division for agencies with 50 or more lifeguards, while the VLSC will compete in the B Division for agencies with fewer than 50 active lifeguards.
The high-intensity, multi-discipline competition showcases the skills ocean lifeguards rely on every day to keep beachgoers safe, including speed, strength, endurance, surf awareness and teamwork.
Challenges test lifesaving abilities such as surf entry, patient transport and situational awareness in demanding ocean conditions through swimming, running, paddling, rescue and relay events. The competitions highlight not only athletic excellence but also the professional skills that protect beachgoers along the coast.
"I think it does a good job of reflecting the intensity of ocean rescue and what is asked of open-water lifeguards in their day-to-day operational routines," Jennings said. "The sport side of it gets to show off a lot of that athletic ability and water competency and provide a lot of fun as well."
The SALA Regional Lifeguard Championships are a United States Lifesaving Association-sanctioned surf lifesaving competition featuring athletes from professional and volunteer ocean rescue agencies throughout the South Atlantic region.
The USLA serves as the governing body for open-water lifeguarding agencies nationwide. It provides training standards and operational guidance for lifesaving agencies while also overseeing the competitive surf lifesaving program.
Within the USLA, agencies are organized into regions, with competitions held at the local, regional and national levels. Jacksonville Beach sits at the southern end of the South Atlantic region, which stretches north to Virginia Beach and includes coastal communities throughout the region, Jennings said.
"The event itself is going to have 15 to 20 agencies from the region coming to compete as teams and winning points toward a team trophy," he said. "Within the event itself, there are individual swims and partner events like a staged buoy rescue race, and then there are relay events where one person swims, one person paddles and one person runs."
Competitors must be in peak physical and mental condition to take part in the demanding, multi-discipline events. Among the most challenging is the Ironman competition, which includes a swim, prone paddle, run and surf ski leg. A surf ski resembles a kayak but is faster, more agile and more difficult to maneuver in surf conditions.
"Those of us who have been doing this a long time take this sport side of things very seriously," Jennings said. "We see it as a reflection on our agency, and there is a pride element involved. We take the training very seriously.
"More often than not, just to make an ocean rescue agency, the physical tests require you to have quite the athletic background. It's not uncommon to encounter high-level athletes and people with impressive backgrounds in swimming, running and crew."
The simulated rescue events demand the same physical endurance required during real-life ocean rescues. Jennings said the competition helps sharpen the skills lifeguards rely on to respond effectively during emergencies, particularly throughout the busy summer season.
Jennings described Jacksonville Beach as "a small city with big-city problems" because of its popularity as Duval County's premier beach destination. As more visitors flock to the shoreline, rescue personnel must be prepared to respond to everything from heat-related illnesses and jellyfish stings to rip current rescues.
"The thing that we preach all the time is the more physically fit you are as a lifeguard, the safer the beach is," Jennings said. "So much of what is asked of us is, at a moment's notice, to be able to run into the water and be capable and confident in rough conditions to help people who are having the worst day of their life.
"The adrenaline will only take you so far. At the end of the day, you will only perform as well as the training you put in. The sport side of things is an awesome way to stay motivated outside of the typical day-to-day aspect of the job. We know that hurricane season is around the corner, so we'll be enjoying the event this week, but in a few weeks, we'll be ready."
