Swimmers who are not confident in the water are advised to stay out due to high winds and currents.
Heavy surf poses risks to walkers and swimmers as a lifeguard warns of surging waves that could “knock people off their feet”, strong currents and hard-to-spot rips at Bay of Plenty beaches.
“There’s a lot of water moving around. It was ripping down the beach.”
Red flags warning people not to swim were in place at patrolled beaches in Bowentown and Ōhope Beach. Cautionary swimming was advised at Waihī, Bowentown, Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa Beach and Pāpāmoa East due to strong currents.
“I’d say that a lot of [lifeguards] are going to be flying the red flag today with the conditions that are out there at the moment.”
Gibbons-Campbell said there would likely be “a lot of people out and walking on the beaches”.
A surfer takes on the big swell at Mount Maunganui Main Beach on Monday. Photo / Alex Cairns
“It’s important these people just be cautious with the big waves.”
He said they could “surge quite easily up the beach and knock people off their feet, especially young people” while walking on the shore.
Gibbons-Campbell said lifeguards attended five rescues and assisted seven people to safety on Sunday.
Tay St Mount Maunganui had a “really busy day” with counts of about 850 beachgoers.
“They did one rescue and five assists just at Tay St alone.”
A rescue at Arataki involved a mum and two kids.
Gibbons-Campbell said no one was taken to hospital on Sunday.
Surf Lifesaving Eastern Region manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell. Photo / Alex Cairns
Rips were another concern and were “really hard to spot” in the conditions due to “a lot of white water”.
He said swimmers needed to be reminded of the “classic signs” of a rip, which were “crisscrossed waves”, “colouration in the water”.
“If the waves have picked up sand you can actually see that flowing out to sea. Where the sets are breaking evenly, in between of those are where the rips are.”
“Overnight we are expecting things to cool more too, into the low teens – so hopefully those sleeps are little better”
Busy beaches expected
Surf Lifesaving NZ chief operations officer Chris Emmett said “plenty of sunshine” was expected across the country this week.
“[With] warm temperatures especially over the next few days, we expect beaches to be busy.”
Emmett said later in the week a “cool change” was forecasted but Auckland and Nelson anniversary day public holidays this weekend were expected to bring people out in large numbers.
Surf Lifesaving New Zealand (SLSNZ) chief operations officer Chris Emmett.
He said many people got into trouble in the water because they overestimated their abilities and underestimated the conditions.
“If you feel uncomfortable about getting into the water, stay out.
