Two fishermen walked away unharmed after their dinghy was swamped as they returned from a fishing trip off the Maketu coast today.

Coastguard were alerted to a 4.5metre overturned boat about 500 metres off the coast of Kaituna Cut earlier today.

Two men got swamped by a wave returning to shore at Kaituna Cut.

Rotorua man Adam Daniela was at the beach and watched as the pair in a dinghy attempted to ride a wave into shore near the pier when they became swamped.

He says the two men managed to make it back to shore by themselves.

When they emerged, Adam says neither of the men, estimated to be aged in their late 20s, early 30s, were wearing lifejackets. Adam also believes they may have been foreign as they spoke with an accent.

The dinghy was unable to be retrieved and a reporter at the scene says it is heading towards Tauranga from Maketu. It has been reported to Coastguard as a navigational hazard.

Both of the men were uninjured.

Surf reports for the region show wave height of 1.1metres blowing 10km/h WNW offshore.