VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Amid the scorching sands at the Oceanfront, with their temperatures soaring above 120 degrees, many were still on the beach basking in the sun on the first day of summer — the weather and breezes being just right.

Gary Felch with the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service provided a quick weekend forecast.

“We are expecting surf to pick up a little with a low pressure off of Florida,” Felch said. “I think the Outer Banks has red flags right now. We anticipate we may have some increase surf and possible rip currents popping up.”

The Lifesaving Service reports that, so far this year, there have been 27 ocean rescues involving 37 victims. At this time last year, there were 30 rescues and 43 victims.

“We are trending in the right direction, and guards have given extra reminders,” Felch said. “We encourage and remind them to take care of themselves, stay in the shade, hydrate a lot and get a lot of rest. They are also looking for people who may be feeling dizzy, passing out, or things like that, [who] may be under heat duress.”

Peggy Roethlein left stifling heat in Pennsylvania to come to Virginia Beach, and even with temperatures rising in the region, still preferred the Oceanfront to home.

“Up there in the 90’s for the next week, so when I come here it’s heaven,” Roethlein said. “It is heaven. Here the winds blow, and it’s nice. You don’t feel the heat on the beach, only in the sand.”

Hanna Hennig and Paige Hake of Beaver Creek, Ohio, both agreed on this day that it was better to be in Virginia Beach than in the Buckeye State.

“The heat wave just started when we left it’s in the high 90s and over 100. It is very humid. Here you feel the breezes. This is a lot nicer. We are lucky we came here when we did.”

Capt. Andy Bedinger with the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service said they are treating people for burn blisters on the soles of their feet.

“The sand right now is 120 degrees,” Bedinger said. We have measured 140 degrees on the sand out here, and it will blister your feet, so you really need to wear your shoes all the way down to the water’s edge.”

The Junior Lifeguards were out on the beach Thursday training to be the real guards of the beach. Nils Kastenbaum hopes to be one of them.

“I came here because when I’m older, around 16, I would like to be up in the stand helping people,” he said. “I’m getting my experience now when I’m younger.”

Bedinger instructs the Junior Lifeguards, and he said the only issue out here is the blazing hot sand.

“It’s probably 120 degrees, and we have measured 140 degrees in the middle of the afternoon,” Bedinger said.

Burying your feet will make it more tolerable.

“That is a veteran guard’s trick when you don’t have shoes,” Bedinger said.

But once you bring your foot out of the sand and put it back on top, it becomes so intolerable, you’ve got to race off the sand.

Our 10 On Your Side Tip: Wear shoes at the beach.