WARM water temperatures will have local beaches active with swimmers and surfers over the two week holiday break, up until the end of the surf patrol season on Sunday, 28 April.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council lifeguards will be on patrol throughout the April school holiday period, patrolling beaches between Port Macquarie and North Haven. The ‘No Flags, No Swim’ message remains in force for swimmers and surfers wanting to take advantage of the current beach conditions.
School holiday patrolled beaches are: Town Beach 9am- 4.30pm (Monday-Sunday); Flynns Beach 9am- 4.30pm (Monday-Friday); Lighthouse Beach 9am-4pm (Monday-Friday); Bonny Hills (Rainbow Beach) 9am-4pm (Monday-Friday) and North Haven Beach 9am-4pm (Monday-Friday).
Senior lifeguard Grant Hudson said that, while Town Beach would operate with a full lifeguard service seven days a week, all the other beaches would have volunteer surf lifesavers on patrol weekends and public holidays.
“There is no need to swim at a beach that is not patrolled these holidays. When the flags do go up for the day it is always a good idea to check with the lifeguards or a surf lifesaver about the current surf conditions and what time the patrol hours are to finish,” Mr Hudson said.
“We are expecting a good increase in swell this first week of the holidays. If you are heading to the beach over the school break we do advise you pick a beach which is patrolled, look for the red and yellow swimming flags – this signifies a supervised swimming area, and always make sure you swim between these flags at all times.
“We are also expecting lower than normal tides this week which may expose rocks in the shallow water at Town Beach. As a safety precaution the beach may need to be closed for the duration of the low tide.”
Council has produced a beach safety brochure for locals and visitors which is available at locally patrolled beaches. The brochure provides information about beach and surf safety and reinforces the ‘No Flags, No Swim’ message which underpins council’s school and community surf safety education campaign.
Council’s lifeguard service and the area’s volunteer surf life saving clubs will finish patrols on Sunday, 28 April. The beaches will not be patrolled again until the opening of the 2013-14 surf season in the September school holidays.
