Surfing New Zealand is teaming up with Surf Rescue 24/7 and Surf Lifesaving New Zealand to facilitate courses along the coastline teach the surfing community essential lifesaving skills.

"With support from Surf Lifesaving New Zealand and New Zealand Search and Rescue, we are aiming for safer beaches around the New Zealand coastline," says a Surfing New Zealand spokesperson.

"The Surfers Rescue 24/7 initiative was developed by Surfing NSW in conjunction with Surf Lifesaving NSW in Australia.

"The two-hour course gives surfers and water users the ability, confidence, and skillset to perform a rescue in an emergency with techniques to best use your surfboard in these situations.

"Kicking off the 2022-2023 summer season we head to Ohope, Whangamata, Piha, Raglan, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki before heading further afield in the new year.

"Almost 500 surfers and surf instructors have completed the course already, it is now hoped that the support of SLSNZ with New Zealand Search and Rescue will see a further 300 participants learn the skills to assist in an emergency in the surf.

"The support will also lead to additional research around the course and ability for rescues to be logged.

"Surfline has come on board offering course participants discounts to their surf reporting and subscription services.

"The aim this summer is to make our beaches safer outside the flags from dawn ‘til dusk."

'As surfers we are in the water 365 days a year and are often the first responders to emergencies on beaches and waterways,” says Surfers Rescue 24/7 coordinator Lee Ryan.

As we lead into another busy summer with a number of preventable drownings already taking place, it's crucial that we as surfers and regular beach goers, are prepared to deal and assist with any emergency at the beach.

'This is why the Surfers Rescue 24/7 program is so important to get out into New Zealand's surfing community,” adds Ryan.

According to Surf Lifesaving Australia, more than 60 per cent of rescues in Australia are performed by recreational surfers.

With more than 15,000km of coastline in NZ and a love for the water, these numbers are expected to be similar on our shores.

"About 90 per cent of New Zealand beaches are unpatrolled so it is important for surfers to be better equipped to perform and react in emergency situations at the beach," says the Surfing New Zealand spokesperson.