Beach surveillance: on the Basque coast, we nibble away at the pre- and post-season

On the other beaches of the city, outside the classic summer period extending from July ¹ to August 31, a lookout system is put in place, for the attention of tourists and locals who can take greater advantage of the pre- and late-season: the presence of two water lifeguards on the beach and a jet-ski, able to carry out a prevention mission with users, to notify the rescue services and to intervene in the event of an emergency, relying on the lifeguards posted on the neighboring beaches...

Further south, in Hendaye, there are also extensions that have been extended over the years, with surveillance being put in place on autumn weekends, "depending on weather conditions." This is also a way of adapting to new tourist habits of stays planned on the fly, over shorter periods.

The resources are not expandable, but in Hendaye, the contingent of lifeguards is supplemented by firefighters from a particularly involved rescue center. While, as elsewhere on the Basque coast, the culture of coastal rescue is instilled from a very young age in local clubs, as well as in educational projects initiated by municipalities via primary schools.