It's not about the lifeguards. They are on duty all summer on the Jersey shore. Know when most drownings occur?? Right, once they are off duty and gone for the day. It doesn't matter how many RED flags are flying, Kids will simply ignore them and do their own thing. They have no sense of danger. Sure lifeguards protect the beach from 9 to 5, after that <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> My daughter was a guard at the shore and when it was quitting time they called everyone out of the water, put away their high chairs and left. Everyone went back in the surf when they left. There were many times she had to go back in the water because some one didn't read the posted signs. Signs mean nothing, just like the one by SXM airport runway.