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The volunteer lifeguard service at Omaha and Tawharanui had seen high beach attendance and increased visitor numbers over the peak summer patrol period, Omaha Surf Life Saving Club captain Rob Earley said.
Despite thousands of beach goers from December 20 to January 11, there were just two rescues at Omaha and three at Tawharanui, nine assists at each beach and two searches at Omaha (for complete stats click here).
“We try to intervene before a problem happens with preventative actions (214 PAs at Omaha and 149 at Tawharanui). Warning people ahead of time about rips and shore breaks,” he said.
Incidents requiring CPR were rare, with none recorded at Omaha or Tawharanui this season so far, and Earley said they hadn’t had anyone get into major trouble this year.
“Visitor volumes on the beaches have been massive this summer, particularly at Tawharanui, which the club has patrolled for the past two years. It’s just been getting more popular there.”
The crowds were now easing as people returned to work, he said.
Earley added that the number of visitors had been growing at both locations in recent years, largely due to the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway, which had made the beaches more accessible, for Aucklanders in particular.
While Tawharanui attracted a lot of day trippers and had the Tawharanui Campground, Omaha had day visitors, permanent residents and holidaymakers with baches swelling numbers.
“The club provides volunteer patrols on weekends and Auckland Anniversary Day alongside the Paid Lifeguard Service (PLS), which operates on weekdays over the peak season, as well as the big holidays like Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.”
Earley said most of the club’s work involved preventative actions (PAs) rather than rescues.
“We do a lot of PAs, which includes identifying swimmers drifting toward rips, warning people about hazards and intervening early before situations escalate.”
He said Tawharanui generally posed greater risks for swimmers due to its more exposed conditions, rocky areas and stronger waves, while Omaha was more sheltered.
However, all beaches posed different challenges.
Earley said inexperienced swimmers, people using inflatables in offshore winds, and visitors unfamiliar with NZ surf conditions were among the most common risk factors.
“One of the biggest issues is people panicking. If you get into trouble, try to stay calm,” he said.
Earley said one of the club’s strongest messages to beach goers was parental supervision and that lifeguards frequently encountered children at the water’s edge without knowing where their parents were.
“Please put your phone down and watch your kids. Don’t assume the lifeguards are watching. We’re doing our best, but on a busy day we’ve got, at the very least, hundreds of people we’re trying to keep an eye on.
“It can only take a few seconds to lose sight of a child, and it ruins families forever,” he said.
Swimming between the flags and maintaining active supervision remained the simplest and most effective safety measures.
Recruiting new volunteers is an ongoing focus for the club, with pathways available for both young people and adults.
He said many new lifeguards came through the club’s junior surf programme, progressing into rookie lifeguards from around 13 or 14 years of age plus they ran separate training groups for adults.
Earley added that former lifeguards could return to the club by completing a refresher course rather than requalifying from scratch making it relatively easy for experienced people to get involved again.
“Also, not all volunteers need to be water-based lifeguards. There’s patrol support roles available for those who prefer to stay onshore, handling things like first aid and communications.”
