It's this visibility that helped them spot a boogie boarder who needed help a few weeks ago.
Mr Finlayson said the new structure's enhanced vision was enabled by a cantilever that extended over the sea wall; allowing the base of the structure to sit behind the sea wall and meet council requirements.
"When you are up high with the elevation you can see past the waves and it makes a big difference. You just get a sense of who could be in trouble and that informs you down on the beach so that they can actually go out and deal with it."
He said it had met all their expectations.
Nationally renowned Hawke's Bay architects Paris Magdalinos developed the new design.
After 45 years of service the Waimarama Surf Life Saving Club's previous tower was demolished last September of 2016 when Hastings District Council requested it as part of their redevelopment of Waimarama Domain.
"The old one had had it and it was really dangerous to get up and down because we had a horrible rusty old ladder. It was quite small in size and it didn't have power or anything else."
A motif that was sand blasted in to the concrete on either side of the tower has captured a lot of people's imagination.
This artwork by local artist Phil Belcher was a gift from Ngā hapū o Waimarama
to adorn and protect the tower.
Despite watch towers not being an uncommon sight around the world, he believed "ours is the best one because we have captured that combination of function but then coupled that we've with a bit of architecture that looks really great".
Since it was built, they won the Gisborne-Hawke's Bay Architecture Award (Small project) and the Hastings Landmarks award - a significant achievement for those who helped fund and build the tower, Mr Finlayson said.
"It gives them a sense pride that they've been involved in something that's really quite special."