About Us

Paolo Tubito started the lifeguard program in 1998 as an ocassional volunteer service. Since 2002 after a series of drownings that occured at the beach the Dominical Lifeguards Program had brought safety and tranquility to our visitors and locals, no matter what the conditions may be. Our lifeguards are on duty 365 days a year, with a record of no lives lost during hours when the staff is guarding the beach.

Playa Dominical has one of the strongest rip-tides in the area. Therefore our lifeguards practice prevention ahead of rescues – verbally and by their use of warning/danger and educational signs. By pointing out to swimmers where the rip currents are and by encouraging them to swim in front of the lifeguard towers, our beach is one of the safest in the country for swimming and surfing.

Now, you may wonder how our lifeguards can afford to work every single day of the year? Does the Costa Rican government do something for the Program?
Actually, ONLY donations sustain the Dominical Lifeguard Program.

Businesses in Dominical generously donate monthly to the lifeguard program. Private donations, fundraisers and sales (T-shirts and others) cover the remainder of the considerable expenses. They depend on this money as well as any equipment donations that people can afford to make. With these contributions, they recently purchased state-of-the-art lifeguard equipment from the United States.

We have a highly trained and dedicated lifeguard team with 3 full-time members, 2 part-time members and an additional half a dozen people who are trained and spend most of their free-time on the beach or surfing. Many of the of these additional people are members of Costa Rica Surf School and Dominical Surf School, like Jose Montoya, Rony Obando, Junior Montoya, Alejandro Cerdas, Cesar Valverde and locals like Allan Montoya, Gino Tubito, Kike Crysoupulos.

The captain Matt Haley is an experienced, United States trained lifeguard, who has in turn trained the entire Dominical lifeguard crew, including full-timers Vinny Montoya, Alvaro Obando Vargas and our 2 part-time guards, Kirk Blaker and Juan Carlos Montoya (Vinnie’s little brother). They have recently become affiliated with the Asociacion Nacional de Guardavidas Costa Rica – so our lifeguards are now certified in Costa Rica. They are now petitioning the government of Costa Rica approve funding of all certified lifeguard programs.

Now Andrew Webster from Encinitas, CA is giving Matt a well needed break, and has takenover the head lifeguard position.

Our lifeguards risk their own lives for ours. This program is a wonderful example of what a small town can do when they set their minds and hearts to it.

Please listen to our lifeguards and ask them any questions while you visit our community. If you wish to make a donation or inquire for more information please contact us.