Full-time life savers are all geared up and ready to roll on six Northland beaches this holiday season.
Paid by Northland Regional Life Guard Services, three will be on duty on Mondays to Fridays at Mangawhai Heads, Waipu Cove, Ruakaka, Whangarei Heads, Baylys Beach and Ahipara.
Apart from Mangawhai Heads, which sees a higher density of beach goers and where paid guards will be rostered on seven days a week, the roles will be taken over by volunteers on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day and at weekends.
Chase Cahalane, Northern Regional lifeguard supervisor said the service started at Mangawhai on December 15 and will run for eight weeks until the end of January. Life guards came on duty at Ruakaka, Whangarei Heads, Waipu Cove and Ahipara this week and will be on the beat for six weeks.
At Baylys Beach, where there is no surf club, paid guards will be on patrol for three weeks, Mr Cahalane said.