Summer beckons and with Labour Weekend just around the corner, Surf Life Saving New Zealand is reminding beachgoers to be extra careful over the coming weeks and months.

The Bay of Plenty's patrol season, which traditionally gets underway at the end of October and runs through to Easter, will spring into action before the month is out.

Tragically, the summer rescue season has already begun in earnest at Mount Maunganui following the disappearance of five-year-old Jack Dixon, who was swept out to sea during the king tide almost two weeks ago.

And as the warmer weather approaches, SLSNZ CEO Paul Dalton is asking the public to be extra vigilant and choose a patrolled area while enjoying the region's coastline.

'The beach is New Zealand's favourite playground but it can also be a dangerous place. Learning about the risks and preparing yourself will mean you can enjoy the sun, sea and sand safely this summer,” he says.

'Make sure you are choosing a patrolled beach where you can swim between the flags and feel safe in the knowledge there are highly skilled lifeguards on hand.”

Nationwide, over 4,000 volunteer lifeguards will spend over 200,000 hours keeping a watchful eye on over 80 beaches, and with an average of 1,200 rescues a season, they will be kept extremely busy.

And with water safety at the forefront of their efforts, Paul recommends visiting: www.findabeach.co.nz before you hit the sand to make sure your beach of choice is patrolled.

Surf Life Saving will officially be launching summer with a public event in Auckland in late November.