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Ōrewa Surf Lifesaving Club’s 156 patrollers are back on duty at the beach. Their patrol season began on October 22 and the beach will be patrolled every weekend and public holiday until April 10. In late December and January, they will also patrol at Wenderholm Regional Park. As well as its active patrollers, the club has 750 junior members and parent supporters. Ōrewa Surf Lifesaving chair Faron Turner says the club’s team of Search and Rescue approved lifeguards are also able to respond 24/7, all year round, to emergencies. The club’s biggest ever project – the building of its new base – is on track, Turner says. The club hopes to reach another milestone, submitting its Building Consent to Auckland Council, in November.
Hot demand for lifesaving services expected
• Surf Lifesaving Northern Region (SLSNR) is expecting a busy patrol season, with the possibility of a marine heatwave, hot temperatures, warm nights and high humidity likely to see people flock to the beach. • SLSNR chief executive Matt Williams says people may be even more keen to get back in the water after a few years of restricted access. “Our beaches are getting busier, earlier, and one of our key three-year strategic priorities has been to resource clubs to be prepared across every aspect of their operations, including after-hours and Search and Rescue functions,” he says. • Beach-goers are advised to recognise their limits and stay within them, learn how to recognise rip currents, be smart around rocks and large surf, and never swim or surf alone.
Record breakers at Red Beach
Red Beach lifeguards begin patrols on Saturday, December 3. They will also be on duty at Pakiri Beach, from December 17. The club’s competitors are in fine form, having kicked off the season with strong performances in two Pool Rescue Championships. After snaring the Cosgrove Trophy for the most overall points in the Surf Lifesaving Northern Region Pool Champs last month (something the club had not achieved in 10 years), the club went on to further success in the national Pool Rescue Champs, placing second overall after three days of competition. It’s the first time the club has achieved a top three finish in the national pool event and some performances were record-breaking. In the junior division, Ryan Wyatt and Dylan Blanchard set a new NZ record in the U14 Male 100m Patient Tow with Fins and Jasper Cornish set a NZ U17 record in the Male 100m Manikin Tow with Fins.
