It's the beginning of the summer and rookie school has just started. Cody meets his old diving instructor from Hawaii there. Her name is Lani McKenzie, and she has problems with her ex-boyfriend Darren. He can't accept that she has left him. When Darren approaches Lani and Sheryl while they are jogging on the beach, he and Cody end up in a fight. Later Lani is kidnapped by Darren and held hostage on a boat. However, Cody manages to locate the right boat and is able to bring Lani out of there, with a little help from her as well.
This long-running series follows the adventures of a team of lifeguards on the crowded beaches of Los Angeles County. Veteran lifeguard Mitch Buchannon watches over the younger lifeguards that come and go with each passing season as they keep the beaches safe for vacationers. Frequently he must take action to save them from the raging seas and from the raging tempers that sometimes flare up between the young guards in this stressful job.