THE HEATWAVE and the Australia Day long weekend are set to create turbulent conditions for life savers along the Newcastle coast.
Volunteers have rallied to put on extra patrols to cope with the expected flood of beachgoers between January 26 and 28.
Surf Life Saving NSW Hunter president Henry Scruton said all 13 clubs from Tea Gardens to Catherine Hill Bay had put the call-out for members to put their hands up to help.
"They've been great, they're wonderful people," he said.
Mr Scruton told the Newcastle Herald crews were preparing for an influx of visitors who might not be as surf smart as locals.
He said the bay area at Port Stephens had been incredibly busy with out-of-towners.
Surf Life Saving crews put on extra dusk patrols earlier in the summer at Fingal and Birubi after a string of tragic drownings, and additional crews were sent up from Sydney.
Mr Scruton said clubs were working to coordinate bringing back those outside-hours patrols for the Australia Day long weekend.
He said Surf Life Savers along the Hunter coast had been "extremely busy" in January after a horror December.
"Quite a few rescues, and an exceptional amount of preventative actions being carried out before people get into trouble," he said on Thursday.
"We're expecting larger crowds than usual, particularly tomorrow for Australia Day."
The temperature is tipped to reach 41 degrees in Newcastle on January 26.
A permanent rip at Merewether had proven problematic, with swimmers being rescued from that beach this summer, Mr Scruton said.
A man was rescued earlier this month from a rip near Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club outside patrol hours by off-duty life savers and surfers.
Mr Scruton said the evenings had been a popular time to visit beaches due to the heat and sun, but warned people to stay within their abilities and try to swim during patrolled hours only.
"We're trying to get everyone to stay between the flags - if we can't see you, we can't save you," he said.
"If you've had a few beers for Australia Day, work on your tan."
Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) research has revealed the risk of drowning at the coast is one-and-a-half times higher during school holidays.
Two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, were pulled from the water at Burwood Beach at Whitebridge last week and taken to John Hunter Hospital.
There have been several mass rescues reported in the Hunter and Central Coast over the summer.
A 33-year-old man died after being pulled from the water at the Anna Bay end of Stockton Beach on December 27 and a woman was rushed to hospital.
It came less than two weeks after a Western Sydney father died at the nearby Birubi Beach.
SLSA safety tips:
- Swim at patrolled beaches during patrol times, between the red and yellow flags
- Download the BeachSafe app to check safety advice
- Supervise children
- Avoid alcohol and drugs near water
- Wear a life jacket when doing water activities or rock fishing
- Check the conditions and weather forecast
- Take a flotation device with you to the beach - only enter the water to rescue someone as a last resort, and take something that floats
- Know your ability and stick within your limits
