Public getting the message on water safety

Lifeguards have given first aid to beach-goers on 500 occasions this summer. Photo / Paul Estcourt

More than 250 rescues have been made at New Zealand beaches since Labour Weekend - although some surf lifesaving clubs are finding the summer busier than others.

And beach-goers appear to be heeding warnings to swim between the flags, many say.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand Chief Executive Grant Florence said lifeguards have made 260 rescues nationwide since Labour Weekend, when patrols began at most beaches. This is about level with previous years, he said.

"I think although the drowning numbers over the holiday period have been high, at our patrolled beaches we've been busy with rescues and keeping people safe on the beach," Mr Florence said.

Lifeguards have given first aid to beach-goers on 500 occasions this summer.

The majority of the rescues have been in the northern region, but there had been recent rescues made at Coromandel Peninsula and Wellington beaches, he said.

"The main reasons [swimmers get in trouble] are people not swimming between the flags and just not recognising their own abilities," he said.

"I guess we've seen issues around people continuing to swim in jeans and obviously had a couple of occasions where people are drinking alcohol before going in the water."

Piha Surf Life Saving Club general manager Tony Johnston said although there had been a lot of visitors to the popular west coast Auckland beach, it had been "fairly quiet" as far as rescues are concerned.

"We've had a lot of preventative action, but nothing notable."

Mr Johnston said beach users appear to have received the message on swimming between the flags.

"Most of the public are pretty good at the moment - mind you they need to be, because the beach has so many rips and hazards."

Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club lifeguard Cameron Walker said there had been surprisingly few rescues at the Coromandel Peninsula hotspot so far this summer.

"There's been quite a lack of surf and people have been swimming between the flags and not getting out of their depth."

Mr Walker said there had also been fewer people at the beach, but expected numbers to pick up as the temperatures increase.

"Last year we were getting head counts of 3,000-4,000. The biggest we've had so far is 2,500-3,000."

Mr Florence said there were patrols at more than 80 beaches this year, a small increase on last year.

Mount Maunganui lifeguard James Roy said the club had been busy compared to previous years with a couple of mass rescues this week after body boarders got into trouble in the surf, although most swimmers are heeding the advice of lifeguards and swimming between the flags.

Yesterday saw hundreds head to the beach to see actor David Hasselhoff, although visitor numbers are tailing off.

"It was really busy last week but it has got quieter as the weather's been average," Mr Roy said.

He said there had been plenty of jellyfish around the beach, but they had not been a major concern.

Wellington's Lyle Bay Surf Life Saving Club has also had a busy summer so far, with five rescues, the club's captain Arie Moore said.

The club usually has 10 rescues each year.

Mr Moore said the beach had been popular on warmer days this summer but often Wellington's winds were keeping beachgoers at home.

The beach was closed for an hour earlier this week after a passing motorist spotted a shark, however, lifeguards were unable to locate it, he said.