KEY POINTS:
Soaring temperatures and dangerous rips are providing a headache for lifeguards who are struggling to keep beachgoers safe.
More than 6000 people were at Bay of Plenty beaches during the peak afternoon period yesterday. Lifeguards had to constantly move warning signs as well as looking out for swimmers and boogie boarders in trouble.
Omanu's head lifeguard Isaac Gilmore said the whole stretch of Omanu beach down towards Arataki was bad for rips.
While most people were good about staying between the flags, some did not know how to recognise a rip.
It was vital people didn't ignore lifeguards or warning signs.
Mr Gilmore said it was important that people didn't swim out of their depth and wore suitable clothing.
Rips could be spotted by looking for a calm surface with smaller waves, debris or foam floating on the surface out to sea. The water is darker because it is deeper.
Beaches were packed yesterday due to clear skies and temperatures that reached 25C.
About 3500 people descended on Mt Maunganui's Main Beach in the afternoon.
Lifeguards at Omanu reported more than 1000 people there and 1600 were at Papamoa.
The MetService said temperatures were expected to drop slightly yesterday, because of more clouds in the weather mix. But the mercury will rise again today and tomorrow, when temperatures are expected to again reach the mid-20s.
Saturday is also expected to be warm, with a mixture of sun and cloud.
In one Bay incident, a young Taiwanese woman was swept out to sea in a rip. Lifeguards brought the 27-year-old back to the beach.
Seven rescues were made at Omanu beach on New Year's Eve.
One Auckland couple in their 50s were "lucky to be alive" after a rip swept them out to sea late Monday afternoon.
They were rescued by a surfer and another swimmer.
Mr Gilmore said he did not know how far the couple were taken out to sea but said it was some distance.
"There are numerous rips and it is really a quite dangerous stretch of coastline even for people who know the area well."
He said the couple were quite exhausted and shaken by their ordeal.
"She told us she had inhaled a lot of water so we were really worried about secondary drowning so decided the best thing to do was to take both of them to Tauranga Hospital for a check-up to be on the safe side," he said.
In a separate incident on Monday morning, Mr Gilmore said, three Auckland teenagers, two aged 17 and one aged 18, were rescued after a rip dragged them 200m south of the surf club headquarters.
STAYING SAFE
*Always swim between the flags
*If caught in a rip: Don't panic. Float on your back and raise your arm to signal for assistance. If you are able, swim parallel to shore for 30 or 40m and return to the shore.
*Rips can be spotted by looking for a calm surface with smaller waves, debris or foam floating on the surface out to sea.
