Lifeguards to start early as dangerous seas prompt off-duty rescues

Lifeguards are to start weekday patrols a week early at the Mount as large numbers of people head to Bay beaches amid soaring temperatures.

Surf Lifesaving New Zealand eastern region lifesaving manager Chase Cahalane said the large numbers of beachgoers and warmer temperatures in the past week prompted lifeguards to start sooner than planned.

The Surf Life Saving patrol season officially started at Labour Weekend and has seen volunteers patrolling on the weekends at Mount Maunganui, Omanu and Papamoa. The weekday regional lifeguard service was due to begin later in December but will be brought forward by one week to Monday at Mount Maunganui.

Cahalane said off-duty lifeguards had also been busy at Mount Maunganui with preventative actions and actions and "assisting people from difficulty".

"It's great to see so many people out enjoying the beach but the surf is up and there are a number of rips running through that people need to be cautious of," Cahalane said.

Cahalane said many people panicked when they found themselves caught in a rip but they should try to stay calm and put their hand up, waving it side to side to attract attention.

"Most people can float for a lot longer than they can swim so lie on your back and let the rip sweep you along until the current weakens. When the current has subsided, swim parallel to the shore for 30-40m before returning to shore, swimming slowly."

Cahalane said the safest place to swim was always between the flags.

Papamoa Surf Life Saving club captain Shaun Smith said there had already been a few rescues, mostly carried out by other beachgoers or surfers.

The official surf patrol season does not start in Papamoa, and the rest of coastal Bay of Plenty, until December 18.

"It's quite busy at the moment. People tend to go right out the back past the waves and then get into trouble," Smith said.

"I think most of the public are being sensible about it but you really need to ensure your feet are touching the bottom.

"But it's nice to see people down there."

Smith said people should take five to 10 minutes checking the sea conditions and "looking for the flat patches" before jumping in.

Flat sections of a surf beach indicate rips. Every year, about 60 per cent of the rescues carried out by lifeguards are the result of a rip.

Last year, lifeguards warned beach-goers of holes in the sea floor, creating dangerous conditions. Surf conditions had not changed much since, Smith said.

"It's pretty much the same as last year but the surf and water are a lot warmer.''

Rips - what they look like and what to do if you're caught in one

A rip is a strong current of water running out to sea. They can be very dangerous to swimmers as they can sweep you out to sea quickly and easily.

Rip currents can be hard to identify, look for these features:
- Discoloured or murky brown water caused by sand stirred up off the bottom
- A smoother surface with much smaller waves, with waves breaking on either side
- Debris floating out to sea
- A rippled look, when the water around is generally calm.

If you get caught in a rip:
- Don't panic
- Don't try to swim against the rip back to shore
- Let the rip carry you out until the current subsides
- Then swim parallel to the beach for 30-40m before swimming back to shore
- If you get tired or become frightened, stay calm, raise your arm, call for help and wait for assistance.

Source - Water Safety New Zealand