Omanu Beach lifeguards Gabriel Brockesley and Donal Boyle are ready for the patrol season to begin. Photo/John Borren
Omanu Beach lifeguards Gabriel Brockesley and Donal Boyle are ready for the patrol season to begin. Photo/John Borren
Lifeguards are preparing for an unusually busy start to the patrol season as clear skies and warm weather are expecting to bring an influx of people to Bay beaches.
Bay surf lifesaving officials say the first weekend of patrols is traditionally quiet, however, with MetService predicting highs of up to 22C they were expecting a busier long weekend than usual.
Omanu Beach Surf Life Saving Club president Donal Boyle said it was a generally quiet weekend, which allowed volunteer lifeguards to ease into the busy season ahead.
However, Boyle expected the sunny forecast to welcome more people than usual to the beach.
"There will be plenty of people around town. The water temperatures are still a bit chilly, so only the brave hearts are out in the water."
"We have the Top 10 Holiday Park next to us so we have a lot of families coming here for their holidays."
Papamoa Surf Lifesaving Club president Andrew Hitchfield said Pāpāmoa's rapid population growth meant busier beaches and the club's aim was to work with the public to help them stay safe.
There would also be a satellite patrol at the Golden Sands end of the beach for three weeks over Christmas.
Mount Maunganui lifeguards will start their season patrolling from containers and portacoms after a last-minute hitch delayed the opening of the basement of the club's new $3 million headquarters.
Despite this, club chairman Paul Manning said as far as the public was concerned, it would be business as usual.
General manager Glenn Bradley said there would also be a patrol covering Tay St on weekends in the January peak, and regular "roaming" patrols along the coast.
Opening weekend patrol captain Julia Conway said she was expecting a busy beach this weekend, but that may not extend too far into the briny.
"The dreaded spring westerlies have hit and it means the water is probably more suited to a bracing dip than a leisurely bathe.
"It also means we shouldn't have much of a swell this weekend, although those winds can still cause tricky currents and can snatch anything inflatable out to sea pretty quickly.
"Our core safety messages still remain - swim between the flags, keep an eye on younger swimmers and feel free to pick the brains of your nearest lifeguard - we're there to help."
Maketu Surf Lifesaving Club chairman Mike Hickson said the club's patrol season, which would start later in the year, was expected to be busier than usual with the boat ramp on Kaituna Rd closed.
He said lifeguards would need to keep a close eye on boaties "getting it wrong" over the bar crossing and capsizing, as well as children swimming in the estuary needing to be careful around a higher boat presence.
The club was seeking more volunteers over the busy period and offered free training and membership.
Pukehina Surf Lifesaving Club chairman Kevin Barugh said how busy the season would be depended on the weather and how many holidaymakers would visit the area during summer.
Lifeguard patrols:
Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service/Omanu Surf Lifesaving Club/Papamoa Surf Life Saving Club/Waihi Beach patrols start this weekend
