Hundreds of people flocked to Northland's beaches to escape the heat over the long weekend, with only a handful needing rescuing.
Each of the four beaches with surf lifesavers on patrol reported Saturday was the busiest day, with numbers dropping off as the weekend wore on.
Waipu Cove club captain Kath Manning said on Saturday, the peak headcount reached 686, on Sunday 390 and yesterday between 300 and 400.
She said there had been strong currents, rips and big swells which had kept them on their toes.
Over the weekend, surf lifesavers performed three rescues, which she said were not serious, but assisting people out of holes. Lifesavers also performed 100 preventative actions.