LIFEGUARDS have been put through their paces with a battery of tests ahead of what's expected to be a busy beach season across Newcastle.
Dragging 80 kilogram unconscious bodies out of the ocean, performing dramatic jet ski rescues and unbogging four-wheel drives from the sand are all part of the job description.
Beach lifeguards team leader Lucas Samways said he expects it to be a busy season, starting September 24.
"Today we've brought all of our staff together to make sure everyone is up to scratch and where they need to be in regards to knowing our correct procedures, how to operate our four-wheel drives, ATVs and PWCs [Personal Water Craft] on the beach, in the carparks and in an emergency situation," he said.
"We get a whole range of people who come and apply to be a beach lifeguard at Lake Macquarie, we've got people from a Surf Life Saving background to people who've surfed all their life and just love the lifestyle at the beach."
New recruit Jack Thom traded his job as a plumber in for a surf-side office.
"It's a great job to be on the beach, serve the community and wear the lifeguard shirt with pride," he said.
"I surf, growing up around the beach I never had too much experience but I have a fair bit of life experience, I still have a fair bit to learn but I feel like I'm getting better everyday, keeping fit and learning new skills."
In Lake Macquarie, lifeguards patrol Caves Beach, Redhead Beach, Catherine Hill Bay Beach and Blacksmiths Beach.
A high-level of fitness is crucial, as lifeguards battle gruelling conditions, patrolling seven days a week.
Every beach has different hazards, Mr Samways said, which is why it's important lifeguards are across all of their skills.
"We do a lot of rescues each year, some beaches do more than others but we're there for the community and make it known that we are there to help people," he said.
He puts the majority of rescues down to poor education, so lifeguards spend the winter months running beach safety programs.
Lake Macquarie mayor Kay Fraser said fitness and proficiency standards set for Lake Macquarie City Council lifeguards were among the toughest in the world.
"We set the bar high to ensure our beaches are as safe and welcoming as they can possibly be," she said.
Attendance was down 40 per cent at Lake Mac beaches last season due to the prolonged wet weather, but lifeguards still performed 160 rescues and provided first aid to almost 900 people.
"Last season's wild weather meant we lost a lot of sand along large parts of the coast, and a lot of that is yet to return," Mr Samways said.
"That means conditions have changed in some areas, and we've got more submerged or partly exposed rocks at places like Redhead Beach.
"It creates more hazards, so we want people visiting the beach to be particularly mindful of that in the weeks and months to come."
