Lisbon, June 19, 2026 (Lusa) - The shortage of lifeguards at the official start of the bathing season is a “structural problem” that cannot be resolved simply through “better pay” and requires government intervention, according to the Portuguese Lifeguards’ Federation and beach concessionaires.
Alexandre Tadeia, president of the federation, told the Lusa news agency that the shortage of lifeguards at the start of the official bathing season is a situation that has been recurring “for over a decade, particularly in June, when many professionals, mostly university students, are sitting their exams”.
“We have a chronic, and now structural, problem in Portugal regarding the lack of lifeguards at the start of the bathing season. This has been going on for over 10 years. It is therefore a recurring issue, which means that many beaches are unable to provide the safety measures they should have at this time of year,” Alexandre Tadeia said.
The president of the Portuguese Lifeguards’ Federation (Fepons) explained that, although the number of lifeguards increases over the summer, other problems persist.
“By July, we have enough lifeguards, but the vast majority are working a lot of overtime,” he said, adding that this workload leads many to leave the profession.
“Every year we lose half the lifeguards who work during the bathing season, because these working conditions are very tough,” he acknowledged, noting that, although there are many trained professionals, take-up of the job is limited.
Alexandre Tadeia mentioned that there are “more than 5,000 people who have completed the course, but they are not available to work, and some do not even want to practise”.
For the president of Fepons, the problem lies not only in pay, given that “it is not by paying more” that they are attracting more lifeguards, but that the issues lie elsewhere, namely in the “lack of incentives, working conditions and retention strategies”.
The federation’s president called for a paradigm shift with “a new strategy for the profession”, criticising the current model based on hiring by concessionaires, which he described as “highly commercial” and out of touch with reality.
Alexandre Tadeia also emphasised that investment in lifeguard services would have a direct impact on safety, since “when an area is monitored, mortality rates are low”, stressing that this is where investment should be directed.
There is also agreement amongst beach concessionaires regarding the existing structural problem, with Paula Vilafanha, president of the federation, acknowledging to Lusa that “there have always been difficulties”, but warning of a recent worsening of the situation.
“The problems have been getting worse over the last four years,” she said, citing the heavy reliance on university students as one of the main reasons.
“Assistance to bathers depends, to a large extent, on young university students. As they are sitting exams in May, June and even July, it is natural that they are unavailable,” she explained.
Furthermore, she noted that the role is “often only temporary”, given that if a young person is at university, “they already have their future planned out. The role of lifeguard ends up being a brief interlude in their life”.
Paula Vilafanha also highlighted the increased pressure on professionals, pointing out that beaches “are becoming increasingly crowded and hosting more activities, which demands an ever-greater level of response”, adding that this makes the role “even more physically and operationally demanding”.
“This sector is being neglected by the authorities. We have been waiting for over two years for an essential legislative package, including the Basic Law on Drowning Prevention,” she said, pointing out shortcomings in organisation and legislation.
She also called for better conditions on the ground, highlighting the lack of “basic things, such as beach stations with adequate equipment”, and denouncing that “many are obsolete”.
Like Alexandre Tadeia, Paula Vilafanha also considered that pay is not the decisive factor, emphasising that one cannot “speak of low wages in most cases”, but rather of a “lack of conditions, regulation and stability” to practise the profession.
The bathing season in Portugal runs from 15 April to 31 October, but most local authorities begin their lifeguard service on 1 June; they are free to start the bathing season before or after that date.
RCP/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
