Sunny skies and chilly temperatures marked the first day of beach season in Chicago.

All 22 of Chicago’s beaches opened Friday, and while temperatures in the low 60s may have discouraged going for a dip, beachgoers can now swim from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day.

Last year, 12th Street Beach near Chicago’s Museum Campus was closed due to a shortage of lifeguards. Park District spokesperson Irene Tostado said that beach is open and she is “very optimistic” about filling the staff.

The Park District received around 1,500 lifeguard applications this year, Tostado said, which is about double the number received last year. A full staff is around 750 lifeguards, she said.

Right now, though, the lifeguards staffing beaches are returning guards, said Andy Walsh, the park district’s manager of beaches and pools. Applicants still need to be vetted, and new guards will need to undergo training and certification.

Jenna Keating is one of those returning guards. She has spent her summers since 2017 working as a lifeguard at North Avenue Beach, one of Chicago’s busiest beaches.

Catherine Odom/Sun-Times

She said her lifelong love for swimming and desire to keep people safe has kept her coming back year after year.

Antonio Durns, also a North Avenue Beach lifeguard, said it’s an “honor” to work at one of the most popular beaches in Chicago.

Chicago public pools will open in late June. Last year, only 37 of Chicago’s 77 pools were open because of staffing shortages. Tostado said there was a national lifeguard shortage last year, but numbers seem to be rebounding.

It’s too soon to tell how many pools the Park District will be able to open this year, but Walsh said he is optimistic about being able to open them all.

Last year, the Park District introduced a $600 retention bonus for lifeguards to encourage applications. New incentives for lifeguards to join the staff this year include tickets to the Chicago Fire and day passes for Lollapalooza, Tostado said. The Park District will also pay for training and certifications for lifeguards.

To promote safety at Chicago beaches this summer, the Park District is introducing a beach safety ambassadors program. Thirty ambassadors will be posted at five of Chicago’s busiest beaches to enforce beach rules and help out with maintenance, among other duties.

The flag system remains in place at beaches, Tostado said. A red flag means beaches are closed to swimmers, and a green flag means a beach is open for swimming. A yellow flag encourages swimmers to use caution.

Kyle Murray, a member of the aquatics lead staff, reminded beachgoers to swim near a lifeguard. “We’re here for your safety,” he said.