Eleven people drowned in Northland in 2015 and 12 in 2014.
Nationally, 81 people drowned last year. Males aged between 15 and 34 represented a third of that total but that group makes up only 14 per cent of New Zealand's population.
In Northland, three drowned while swimming, two on powerboat, and single deaths while on water sport-recreational, underwater, land-based fishing and immersion.
In terms of ethnicity, Maori and others topped the list of drownings at eight and one New Zealand European.
Water Safety NZ chief executive Jonty Mills said drownings usually happened where there was an influx of people carrying out a range of water activities and Northland was a popular destination for a wide range of visitors.
"Particularly over summer there's an influx of people doing boating activities, swimming, kaimoana in the water and it's a combination of locals and people coming into Northland from outside the region.
"Our safety message is around boaties to wear life jackets, being prepared and being aware of the risks and conditions. We want everyone to enjoy water. It's part of the Kiwi culture but we also want them to come home safely."
The five-year average preventable drowning rate for Northland was 10.
Mr Mills said the drowning rate, not just in Northland, but throughout the country was high which needed to be brought down.
Among those who drowned last year in Northland was Heemi-nai Tairua, 20, who died at the popular Charlie's Rock, on the Waipapa River.
He failed to surface after jumping off the waterfall.
In an effort to reduce the number of young Kiwi males lost to drowning, Water Safety New Zealand and ACC this summer launched an awareness campaign called The Swim Reaper.
The Swim Reaper is a concept developed with the knowledge that young men are risk takers who overestimate their ability and often don't think about the consequences of their bad decisions.