Ivan Pan and his family needed just one piece of information before deciding on a daylong trip to a Ventura beach: The temperature where they live in Valencia was expected to reach 102 degrees.

Pan, his wife, Erin, and son Juninho were enjoying the clear, breezy weather at San Buenaventura State Beach on Saturday afternoon and said they would be milking their time in the area before having to return to the heat.

The Pans were not alone. With forecasters predicting record-breaking temperatures throughout Ventura and Los Angeles counties this weekend, thousands of others flocked to area beaches for a brief reprieve from the heat, as well.

The increase in heat means more work for Brendan Delear, a lifeguard working at Tower 8 near the Ventura Pier.

Photo by Carmen Smyth, Ventura County Star

CARMEN SMYTH/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Megan Lee rides the waves on an inflatable mattress with her friend Michelle Miller as they try to beat the heat at San Buenaventura State Beach on Saturday afternoon.

We dont want to react, we want to prevent, Delear said. Youre running all day.

Delear said on a typical day the citys beaches would see around 1,500 visitors, but because it is the beginning of summer and the heat wave had arrived, there could be more than 6,000 people at the beaches in a single day. This ups the chance of being called on water rescues, he said.

Delear said during a normal summer, he would see five to 10 rescue calls, but by Saturday afternoon, he already had responded to two calls. To avoid any scary moments in the water, Delear said the best thing for swimmers to do is to avoid testing their abilities.

Know your limit, Delear said. The waves arent always consistent.

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Ventura County beaches draw crowds during heat wave