Wear your jandals today because it's raising the profile of lifesaving in Wanganui. It's also Surf Life Saving's (SLS) national appeal today and the jandals are synonymous with summer at the beach. Wanganui's surf lifesavers were in the surf at Castlecliff Beach yesterday, and if the temperature of the water wasanything to go by, there are glorious days in the surf ahead over the summer. The Castlecliff lifesavers say they're in their volunteer jobs for life, which happens to be the club's motto - for the life skills, not the glory. It's fun, and there are plenty of girls to keep their eyes on during their scanning of the waves. SLS has chosen jandals because 80 per cent of us claim to own a pair of the Kiwi icons, with over 60 per cent admitting to owning more than one pair. SLS say they're about making our favourite playground safer for everyone, but they need the cash to help the volunteers maintain the summer service on our beaches. Last year surf lifesavers saved more than 1680 lives, but our drowning rate is twice that per capita of Australia. PICTURED: In it for life: Splashing in the shallows for a good cause are Wanganui's surf lifesavers, from left: Jamie Newell, Josh Hill, Larne Collins, Ben Edmonds and Daniel Comp. At rear is David Bloomfield and Hone Clark.
