Media Release
13 December 2017

Step up for beach patrols

An already stretched Northern Region life saving service is gearing up for an increase in volunteer workloads this weekend as the summer break starts in earnest.

Surf Life Saving Northern Region (SLSNR) Operations Manager Adam Wooler confirmed that all 17 of the Region’s clubs, covering 24 beaches from Raglan north around North Cape and south to the Auckland City beaches, will be at full complement providing seven-day-a-week patrols from now until mid-January.

“Our lifeguards are active for much of the year, but for us this weekend marks the beginning of the busy season and a real step up,” says Wooler. “Students have finished school and university, and many people are winding down at work and starting to take their summer leave. The weather is hot and fine and the sea is warmer than usual. We’re expecting beach numbers to grow dramatically and have our fingers crossed that we’ll have enough volunteers to cope.”

Wooler says the public understandably heads “off to the beach for some well-deserved rest and recreation” at this time of year, but many forget that more than 100 lifeguards each day give up their R&R to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those who chose to play at the beach. “Our paid lifeguards are there weekdays, and volunteers patrol the beaches every summer weekend, technically up to 5pm, but many stay on much later if the crowds remain.”

Wooler says he’s hoping sensible behaviour from beachgoers will lead to fewer preventable injuries or deaths on the Region’s beaches, but expects lifeguards to be busy. “We’re realistic. We know some people will take risks and get into difficulties, but we’ll be doing our best to act early to prevent major problems.”

Wooler says the messages to those going to the beach to swim remain simple.

“If you are not familiar with the beach you are swimming at, then please check in with the lifeguards first. While rips continue to get many people into trouble, poor behaviour through male bravado or a lack of common sense contributes to increasing the risk.

“We want all of the community and visitors at our beaches to enjoy their time in the water safely, and the zone between the red and yellow flags continues to be the safest, most enjoyable place on the beach, with lifeguards continually supervising swimmers in that area.

“Safety in the water is about understanding your own level of ability in the water – knowing your limits - and swimming where you won’t get into trouble. If you’re still learning about beach safety, the good news is we’ve done all the hard work for you – marking out the safest places to swim. ‘Between the flags’ should be everyone’s first choice of swimming location this summer.”

SafeSwim

Those wanting to understand more about Auckland beaches in preparation for the summer have a great new tool to help them, says Wooler. “Auckland Council’s SafeSwim website is an excellent place to help you make safe choices on where to swim, providing details on beach conditions for all Auckland Region beaches.

“It tells you surf conditions, winds and tides, and water quality, at all our beaches, along with information about patrol times and the dates the patrols will run to, which differ for some beaches.

“We’re urging the public to use the site to help them make good choices around where they go to swim.” The SafeSwim site is at www.safeswim.org.nz .

Ends

© Scoop Media