With two drowning’s already in Northland this summer, surf lifesaving clubs are vigilant at this time of the year.
Ignorance and little thought to the conditions are something local lifeguards are familiar with and that was the case over the weekend when two beachgoers were nearly lost.
Across the top of the North Island, over 60 people have been rescued from the sea in the past week.
One noticeable aspect this year is that parents are playing a more active role in supervising their kids when at the beach and lifeguards say that's exactly what families must do if they want to return home safely this summer.