Beach Safety

Waitakere City's west coast beaches are admired the world over for their rugged beauty - but they can also be dangerous and deadly.  Each year, thousands of people visit Te Henga (Bethells), Anawhata, Piha, Karekare and Whatipu beaches to enjoy the recreational opportunities they provide - but sadly, several people die there every year and hundreds have to be rescued.

Visitors must be aware of the dangers and take steps to ensure their own safety.

Beach Safety Tips

Lifeguards offer the following beach safety tips:

1. Swim only at lifeguard patrolled beaches
2. Always swim between the red and yellow flags
3. Listen to advice from lifeguards and heed safety signs
4. Never swim alone and don’t leave children unattended
5. Never run and dive into the water. Check water depth first.
6. Avoid alcohol - it affects your judgment and the ability to hold your breath
7. Don’t depend on flotation devices, such as boogie boards, as you can lose them in large waves
8. Be aware of rips. Regularly check your position against a landmark, such as lifeguard flags, to help maintain a fixed position and alert you to dangerous currents
9. Don’t wear street clothes in the water
10. If you get into trouble, raise your arm for assistance, float and wait for help
11. Stay out if you are not sure about the surf conditions or your own ability

See also Beach Water Quality Results.

Being Sunsmart

Ultraviolet radiation is far more intense in New Zealand than in most other countries. Sunburn is painful and can even cause skin cancer. But sunburn can be avoided by taking a few simple steps.

1. Use sunblock (SPF 30+ or more is recommended)
2. Wear a wide-brimmed hat
3. Cover up with a long-sleeve cotton shirt
4. Use a shade tent or umbrella
5. Wear UV protective sunglasses
6. Always take a bottle of fresh water with you and drink water regularly to avoid dehydration and heat stress.

Lifeguards

For your own safety and the safety of others, always listen to the lifeguards’ advice.  Lifeguards are trained to assess the safest areas for swimming and they mark those areas with red and yellow flags. Always swim between the flags for your own safety, while also taking responsibility for your own actions.

Lifeguards are on duty during weekends and public holidays from Labour Weekend to Easter and cover the patrolled beaches seven days a week from mid-December to early February.

For more information visit Surf Life Saving Northern Region.

Rips

Surf beaches are notorious for large waves and ‘rips’, which often catch swimmers off-guard and quickly drag them out to sea. Rips are channels of swift moving water returning to sea.

Identifying rips

1. Calm patches in the surf with waves breaking either side
2. Rippled or ‘criss-crossed’ water
3. Darker water due to depth or sand stirred up off the bottom
4. Foamy water with debris extending beyond the surf break

Watch the ocean for at least 10 minutes before entering the water and always avoid areas showing any of these signs.

If in doubt, stay out of the water.

If you are caught in a rip

• Stay calm and conserve your energy
• If you are a weak swimmer, float with the current and try to swim parallel to the shore until reaching the breaking wave zone, then swim back to shore or signal for help.
• If you are a strong swimmer, swim at a 45 degree angle across the rip in the same direction as the current until you reach the breaking wave zone, then return to shore.

Rock fishing safety tips

Rock fishing on the west coast is an exhilarating way to catch a meal, but many people have died doing it.  The following safety tips may save your life on the rocks.

1. Learn how to swim
2. Check the swell, weather and tide forecast
3. Ensure you have warm clothing, even if it is fine
4. Wear lace-up shoes, such as basketball boots, and never wear gumboots
5. Wear a buoyancy aid, such as an inflatable lifejacket
6. Tell someone where you are going and when you will return. Take a cell-phone
7. Fish with experienced people.  Never fish alone
8. Always ask the advice of lifeguards and locals before going fishing
9. Avoid alcohol. It affects judgment and slows reactions
10. Follow the advice of safety signs
11. Don’t trust ropes or cables attached to the rocks
12. Watch the ocean and waves for 10 minutes before moving onto a rock platform
13. Never turn your back on the ocean. Be prepared to quickly climb to safety
14. Have an escape route for large waves and an incoming tide
15. Maintain a safe distance from the water, especially when there is a swell
16. Avoid surf spray or wet rocks that have been swept by spray
17. If fish or equipment is swept into a dangerous area or the ocean, leave it there
18. If in doubt about the conditions or your own ability, find a safer location

Be aware that the west coast may not be like the coastline that you are used to. Because of the wind, there are almost always large waves.

Be extra careful when waves (or the swell) are rising on an incoming tide. Fishing can be unsafe at these times as you could be cut off from an escape route.

Be prepared. Carry a length of rope, first aid kit, flashlight and a handheld flare. Have an emergency plan and know how to find help. Learn first aid for hypothermia and injuries such as concussion, cuts, sprains, dislocation and fractures.

Dogs on beaches

Dogs must be walked on leads on certain beach and reserve areas in Waitakere City. Please clean up after your dog. Paw prints should be the only thing left behind!