Why doesn't Lake Michigan have lifeguards?


Why doesn't Lake Michigan have lifeguards? Three reasons most often cited for the lack of Lake Michigan lifeguards are costs, liability and trouble recruiting. Recruitment and training remain the toughest hurdle for keeping guards on the beach in New Buffalo.


Do you need a wetsuit to swim in Lake Michigan?

The answer is no. Being immersed in, rather than atop, cold water feels different. As fall turns into winter and the thermometer drops, the increasingly cold water starts to feel good, even warm. Wetsuits would only get in the way of this descent into conditions that have become delightful.


Is Lake Michigan basically an ocean?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency, for example, describes them as “vast inland freshwater seas.” A seminal 2017 paper in Limnology and Oceanography, authored by some of the most influential researchers studying the lakes, also refers to them as 'inland seas.


Can you get sick swimming in Lake Michigan?

About Harmful Bacteria coli in the water along Lake Michigan's shoreline is a strong indication that the water was recently contaminated by sewage or animal fecal waste. These wastes may contain many types of harmful disease-causing organisms.


Why is Lake Michigan one of the deadliest lakes?

Not only is this lake massive - spanning 307 miles in either direction - but its shores also run parallel, causing unique wave shapes. The shapes of these waves are what contribute to rip tides, which are one of the most dangerous things swimmers can encounter in the water.


What is the biggest threat to Lake Michigan?

Climate change is fueling more extreme Lake Michigan Water levels, along with stronger winds and heavier storms. These conditions exacerbate erosion, beach loss, and damage along the shore.


Why is Lake Michigan water so cold?

A north-northeast wind has pushed the warmer surface water along the Michigan shore back toward the middle of Lake Michigan and brought up colder water from well beneath the surface. This process is called upwelling.


How do beach lifeguards go to the bathroom?

You have to entertain yourself. We pee in the water just like everybody else — some of the guards even go No. 2 in there. It's quicker than walking up to the bathrooms on the boardwalk.