Memorial day weekend is the unofficial kick off to summer and that means locals are heading for one spot in particular: The beach.
San Diego’s Lifeguards are prepared for the crowds who are flocking to the beach in spite of the cold weather.
“People may be sick of the gloomy overcast, but for this weekend they’re committed to coming to the beach,” said San Diego lifeguard Nick Lerma.
"We're seeing a lot of umbrellas on the beach already," said Lerma. "There's a lot of people on the boardwalk." Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 60s, according to the National Weather service.
Lerma estimated San Diego’s beaches would probably see about 250,000 people, though he wasn’t sure the head count for the holiday weekend overall would be near last year's over 700,000 visitors.
Weather aside, more people means more staff and stations across the county have added staff to help compensate. “Seasonal lifeguards are sprinkled at stations all over," said Lerma.
Beachgoers should be careful in the water, though, as high rip current risks and dangerous swimming conditions are common.
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Lerma estimated about 20 to 30 rescues had already happened before 3 p.m.
“I’m actually watching a rip current rescue right now,” said Lerma, who went on to say there should be around 60 rescues at the end of the day, Saturday.
