Three rescues after 'huge' swells hit Hawke's Bay's Waipatiki Beach

Lifeguards that were busy patrolling Waipatiki beach have earned praise from the public for being "very attentive" over the weekend. Photo / Supplied

Hawke's Bay surf life savers have been showered with praise for saving several people being pulled by the surf in "huge" swells over the weekend.

Gemma Hyde was at the beach north of Napier on Sunday with her family and said three young surf lifesavers on patrol were awesome.

"It was a beautiful day and the beach was busy but the sea was huge, with multiple rips," she said.

"They (the lifeguards) were very attentive and were actively preventing people getting into trouble by moving them back in between the flags."

Hyde said she saw one rescue where a woman was being pulled away from her group of friends by a rip.

"It didn't take long for her to be in deeper water, but they responded really quickly and got her back in closer to shore where she could touch the bottom," she said, "They deserve a big shout out and recognition for their work."

Waipatiki Beach is 11km from State Highway 2; it boasts a camping ground, picnic area and public toilets, but no surf lifesaving club.

The beach has had lifeguards patrolling the remote beach since 2013.

Surf Life Saving Regional supervisor John Callinicos was one of the lifesavers at Waipatiki over the weekend and said three separate rescues were carried out.

"The swell was up so it caused a few rips up and down the beach, which meant we had to constantly monitor it throughout the day and be quite active with our lifeguarding," Callinicos said.

Lifeguards are on duty at the beach throughout the school holidays.

They started patrolling on December 21 and will be present from 10am to 5pm every day until January 29.

Callinicos said they've had consistent crowd numbers at the beach this summer - but were a lot busier this weekend due to the conditions.

He said it's paramount for people to know their limits and swim between the flags as Waipatiki can be treacherous.

"They need to know that if there is a swell they must stay within their limits, especially if it's not patrolled at the time they're there," he said.

"Stay shallow, because it can be a dangerous beach when there's a significant swell."

Callinicos added that if you are in trouble in the water remember to raise your hand so the lifeguards can get to you as soon as possible.

Hyde said the presence of the lifeguards put her mind at ease.

"It makes me feel so much better about taking my kids for a swim at the beach, having these wonderful surf lifesavers keeping watch," she added.

The swell at Waipatiki Beach will stay moderate throughout the first half of the week and a strong wind advisory is also place, according to a MetService spokesman.