Stills from footage taken by a Piha local of 'extremely rough' conditions when a group of eight teens were taken into a rip by a surfing instructor.

The national drowning toll for the first two months of the year rose to 35, after 15 drownings in February.

Continuing a spate of drownings this New Zealand summer, three people have died in the water this weekend - including two small children.

Little Nylah Faamanu Vau, 2, went for her first swim yesterday, but will never have another one - she drowned at Waiwera Thermal Resort north of Auckland.

An exhausted swimmer and her boyfriend have narrowly escaped drowning after being rescued by the support crew of the six lifeguards circumnavigating the country in two small rescue boats.

Follow the progress of six surf lifeguards circumnavigating the country in an inflatable rescue boat.

A snorkeller has been called the 'luckiest guy in the world' after his life was saved by two cruise boat skippers.

Police say they are confident a body found on a lake near Rotorua this morning is that of a missing teenage jetskier.

Police and Navy divers are continuing searching into the evening for the body of a teenage boy presumed dead after a jetski accident on a lake near Rotorua, while family and friends continue to hold vigil on the shoreline.

Education not legislation is the answer to improve safety on the water, Maritime NZ safety inspector Jim Lilley says.

The dangers on the water are the same as on the roads, so boaties should be licensed just like drivers, says the Pauanui-Tairua harbourmaster.

The drowning death toll will rise if school swimming lessons aren't made compulsory, the Government has been warned.

A teenage jetskier was killed yesterday when he fell off and was run down by friends. It was one of two horrifying water accidents involving young people in popular holiday spots.