While many clubs are hunkering down as winter approaches a handful of surf lifesaving clubs are eager to give their IRB's one last blast for the season in the 2015 BOP IRB Long Haul.

From midday today nine upper North Island teams will converge on Ohope Beach for the sprint based challenge spanning the length of the Bay of Plenty coastline.

Two Papamoa Surf Lifesaving Club crews will take on the 2015 BOP IRB Long Haul. Photo and Video: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services.

In its third year the BOP IRB Long Haul sees the crews race from Ohope Beach to Mount Maunganui – required to assemble and break down their equipment, perform rescues and carry out a number of other challenging exercises at various beaches along the way.

But to begin with teams must put together and pump up their deconstructed inflatables with two foot pumps estimated to take up to 10 minutes.

IRB Long Haul event manager Mark Inglis is pleased with the event's popularity, one more team than 2014, with the season's end doing little to deter club.

The event is seen as a way to keep people training hard and racing hard, and keep the skills up during the winter period.

'It's certainly climbing each year. We want to get to a dozen or so, but nine is great for this time of year because most teams are hunkering down and finished for the long season,” says Mark.

Crews will race for up to four hours while completing a multitude of challenging activities at the different beaches along the coast.

A component of the race is the team's, consisting of a driver and two crewmen, size and makeup with a number of strength challenges scattered throughout the event.

Challenges include running the boat's engine round a series of cones and placing it back on the boat or dropping a crewman off at Pukehina before meeting them in the estuary following a short run and drive.

Mark says the course is predominantly the same as 2014 aside from some 'minor tweaks” to keep teams on their toes.

Returning for the 2015 edition are defending champions ‘Redaz' from Whangaparoa's Red Beach. The Bay of Plenty is represented with two Papamoa crews lining up while Waikato's Sunset beach also makes an appearance.

With the weather not looking too pretty yesterday, Mark says organisers will make a call on the event, though is confident this wet weather will pass.

'All the forecasts – the swell, wind and rain – point towards that rain dropping off and a light offshore wind that will clean up that slop that is out there now.”

During the estimated 80km race teams will stop at Matata, Pukehina, Papamoa and Omanu before finishing the final challenge at Mount Maunganui between 3 and 4pm.