Warmer water conditions and bumper beach crowds means surf lifesavers continue to have their work cut out with clubs along the East Coast performing more than 40 rescues in just 24 hours.

Yesterday surf clubs stretching between Whangamata and Whakatane performed up to 42 rescues – Whangamata 18, Mount Maunganui eight, Omanu 10, Papamoa and Whakatane three each.

Photo: File.

The majority of the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service's came outside patrol hours with lifesavers and police rescuing six people who had been caught in fast flowing rips as the tide lowers between 5pm and 6.30pm.

'Fortunately everyone has been able to make it successfully back to shore with the assistance of others nearby,” says police in a statement.

Eastern Bay of Plenty Police also responded to an incident at Ohiwa Harbour where seven people were caught in a similar situation.

SLNZ lifesaving services and education manager Allan Mundy says on top of this two surfies were rescued at Omanu about 6.30pm along with a mass rescue of three body boarders caught in a rip at Papamoa about 6pm.

Papamoa lifesavers Matt Strange and Briar Merrett rescued the trio with one placed on oxygen and transported by ambulance to hospital for further observation.

Allan says it has been a busy start to the holiday season with clubs reporting a heavy workload, something he puts down to warmer weather and a deep trough just off the coast meaning there are fast moving rips appearing along the coastline which will take swimmers by surprise.

'That's what I think have caught a lot of people out. A huge amount of the rescues were people caught in the troughs, well out of their depth, and lifesavers pulling them out with the tubes,” says Allan.

'We had massive crowds from Papamoa East all the way up to Mount Maunganui and that coincided with warm water and not very big surf which I think meant people underestimated the size of the rips.

'I think we kind of got inundated. It was perfect – I don't know if perfect is the right word – but very close to it that if we had a bit more swell if would have really stretched the resources.”

These rips appear to be more frequent near low tide and extreme caution is advised. Beachgoers are reminded to swim between the flags, and in view of surf lifesavers.

Where possible stay in groups and keep children in shallow water with an adult.

Allan adds there is a definite spike in the amount of 'new gear” including boogie boards and surf boards on the beach this summer, and these users need to attempt to stay within view of the lifesavers.

'If you are surfing or body boarding for the first time, go near the flags. You want to be in a good view to the tower.

'The guys [lifesavers] commonly scan 5km along the beach, outside the flagged area, but that's a long way to deploy rescue gear and those minutes really matter. It's the time the gear has to leave the club to get on site which is critical.”