Residents across the Garden State hit the beach to find some relief from the weekend scorcher.

The beach season unofficially began Saturday as some places throughout the state reached summer-like temperatures.

It was a stark difference from last weekend where near-record temperatures were reached in the opposite direction. Last summer, beachgoers came out in record numbers to many of the beaches along the Shore as many other alternatives were shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions.

This weekend, beach leaders are prepared for another busy season at Point Pleasant Beach and Seaside Heights.

"We're bracing for impact,” says Jay Vitale, head of the Aqua Serve Lifeguards. “We don't know exactly how many people we are going to see, and while restaurants and bars are opening back up, we haven't seen if there's going to be decompression on our end yet, so we are just anticipating really big crowds." While the temperatures reached in the 80s and 90s at beaches Saturday, the water temperatures still barely made it out of the 50s. Still, some residents were seen braving the cold conditions to take a dip.

Wind is also bringing a moderate risk for rip currents this weekend, so swimmers should be aware.

Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant are both in need of more lifeguards for the season.

Residents were encouraged to apply sunscreen as the UV index reached 10, which is the highest usually seen in New Jersey.

More information on lifeguards at Seaside Heights can be found online.