Youngsters had a great time at Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards season opener.
Youngsters had a great time at Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards season opener.
Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards has celebrated the start of the new patrol season, and offeredadvice for people heading to the beach, as club chairman Matt Warren reports.
The sun came out and there was a real feel of summer for the opening day of the Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards patrol season on Sunday.
Over 200 club members and parents came to the beach to sign up and get their first taste of the water this year.
There were over 100 nippers (under 14s) at the beach and about 40 of our senior crews training.
We also put 25 lifeguards through their annual lifeguard refresher.
Over the past three months, Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards members have been training and preparing for the new summer patrolling season.
New lifeguards have been learning the skills to become qualified surf lifeguards, our inflatable rescue boat crews have been on the water training and members have been checking that all the equipment is ready for what looks set to be a busy summer.
The 2024-25 season will be challenging again this year as we operate out of containers, but with the new building progressing well we hope that by next season we will be fully operational in the new clubhouse.
Construction of the Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards' new clubhouse is progressing well.
During the open day, we showed about 50 people around the new building.
We still have about $1 million to raise to get the building completed and this will take the whole community getting behind the efforts.
With the summer approaching it is vital we stay safe in and around all water areas. Already this year our members have been called out to an overturned boat off the coast and first aid situations in the park.
Over the summer Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards will have regular safety messages to help keep everyone safe.
Take care of others: Always keep children within arm’s reach in or near the water.
Know how to float: If you don’t know how to float, don’t go in the water.
Find the safest place to swim: Swim between the red and yellow flags, or if there is no patrol swim with a crowd.
If in doubt, stay out: Conditions are constantly changing and can be unpredictable, if you have any doubt about the conditions or your ability to handle them don’t go in the water.
