Water safety experts urged Bay holidaymakers to stay between the flags while swimming from our beaches and to ensure that they had a companion when involved with water activities.
Mount Maunganui Life Saving patrol captain Sam Roy said that, while most people were swimming between flags, others mistakenly thought it was safe to swim 20m to 50m outside the flagged area.
This was incorrect, as it was hard for lifeguards to watch people outside the flags and there could be rips nearby.
"There is a good reason why we put the flags where we do," he said. "Of course we try to watch as many people as we can, but with hundreds of people on the beach our main priority has to be those swimming within the flagged area."
Mr Roy said it was "crucial" that beach-goers look out for each other. Adults needed to stay with their children and watch them closely.
"It's no good positioning themselves 100m away."
The national preventable drowning toll for the official holiday period, between December 23 and yesterday, was eight. Water Safety NZ chief executive Jonty Mills said this was "a slight improvement" over last year's 10 drownings.
Several of the deaths happened when people were by themselves.
"It shows how crucial it is to have someone with you who can either help, or call for help," he said.
The warnings came despite Western Bay lifeguards reporting that bad weather kept people out of the water over the New Year break. With forecasters predicting a sunny week ahead, that is likely to change.
Papamoa Surf Lifesaving Club captain Shaun Smith said that wind and cold water stopped people from swimming over the long weekend.
"We just haven't got summer going yet."
Preventable drownings Tauranga 2011-2016
Accidental immersion: 5
Net fishing: 2
Shell fishing: 1
Rowing craft/dinghy: 1
Powerboat under 4m: 2
Free diving: 1
Diving/jumping: 1
Swimming: 5
Source: Water Safety NZ